Once again I am forced to choose the harder route. After perfecting each and every little nit picky thing I can think of on my blog, I deleted an extremely long post. Kind of feels like deleting a paper I worked really hard on. So here I am. Back to ground zero. A fresh start on the topic of contentment no matter the circumstance.
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have
plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in
want.
Philippians 4:12
Based on what just happened, I can truthfully confess that I have not learned the secret to being content in any and every situation. In the past year I have come miles and miles towards finding it, but I am not there yet. Though it is a long and hard journey, I am not upset I'm not there yet. That just makes the adventure that much more exciting!
In the book of Philippians, Paul's Joy Letter, He talks about attitude and focuses on the positives in the negative. Though there we suffer hardships, Christian or not, we are not excused from joy. Jesus said to rejoice in suffering.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.
Romans 5:3
Although He understands our hurts and hurts with us, He doesn't let us use this as an excuse to forget His will for us.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:5
We are to do more than endure. We are to take action and follow the Holy Spirit. He gives us a guide for our daily lives by describing the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14Through all of this, He teaches that joy is a choice. Your attitude depends on you and you alone, not your circumstance. Your attitude develops through Christ like thinking. If you think it, you are most likely to say it and let it seep through your actions.
Some of the happiest people I know are ones going through Hell. I know this first hand. I know physically and emotionally. God never forsakes us. He didn't send His son to die on the cross so that we could continue to go through Hell or end up there. There is always hope. We are not the ones that always make bad things happen, but we are the ones that let the bad days happen.
With every disappointment, there is a blessing. Heartache hurts so much because we focus on it. Grieving and mourning are important in order to heal, but there is a difference between grieving and holding on. So instead of focusing on the pain, focus on Jesus and what he did to eliminate it. When we remember that, how can we ever deny joy? The biggest blessing of all can never disappear. For this reason, there is always hope and for this reason, we can be content no matter the circumstance.
