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Verse Philippians 4: 12-13
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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Thought
God gives us the strength we need to face the day. We are happy to take from him, but it can be very difficult to give. There is always something we don't want to share. I love giving people presents. I love sharing my home with others. My resistance to sharing is my "Debbie" time. It is a valuable commodity in a busy world. I always have a list of jobs that need doing and when I do sit down, I feel a little guilty. But the reality is that all my time is "Debbie" time and I should enjoy it and get the most out of whatever I am doing. The truth is that when I do sit down for me, I usually squander that time in any case. It is about being content with what you have.
The speaker at our ladies church weekend gave an analogy which basically pointed out that the strongest weapon the devil has is disappointment. And this is so true for me. Usually when I am unhappy about something, the root is disappointment
A friend of mine recently pointed me to a web page which shared these definitions and I thought they were excellent for this passage. The definitions demonstrate a progression of our heart's as we strive towards having a heart of God.
Pride: I think you want what I have.
Envy: I want what you have.
Contentment: I’m OK with what I have, and I’m OK with you having what you have
Blessing: I want you to have what I have
We should move our hearts along this route too. From looking at what is precious to us and progress from hard-heartedness to God-heartedness. God wants to root out pride and envy in our hearts and move us to contentment and blessing.
The speaker at our ladies church weekend gave an analogy which basically pointed out that the strongest weapon the devil has is disappointment. And this is so true for me. Usually when I am unhappy about something, the root is disappointment
A friend of mine recently pointed me to a web page which shared these definitions and I thought they were excellent for this passage. The definitions demonstrate a progression of our heart's as we strive towards having a heart of God.
Pride: I think you want what I have.
Envy: I want what you have.
Contentment: I’m OK with what I have, and I’m OK with you having what you have
Blessing: I want you to have what I have
We should move our hearts along this route too. From looking at what is precious to us and progress from hard-heartedness to God-heartedness. God wants to root out pride and envy in our hearts and move us to contentment and blessing.
Prayer
Father God - help me strive towards having a contented heart. Not looking for other things, but happy with what I have with You and with my life at present.
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