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 am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives within me.
Philippians 4:12-13
This verse resonates fiercely with me. I have been in dark places, in need, and have also had times of joy and abundance in my life.
I have lost a loved one to suicide, struggled to make ends meet financially and experienced the pain of infidelity during my marriage that ended in divorce with two babies to raise alone.
On the flip side of the coin, I have been blessed by wonderful supportive friends, loving family members. Opportunities to travel, spend special times with loved ones and watch my children grow into amazing adults.(raising them as a single Mom brought times of great joy and need as well!)
So, where does this "contentment" in all things come from that Paul speaks of?
I think with everything that is going on in the world, we could all do with a heaping helping of contentment. There are a lot of people who have known a lifestyle of excess, and now they know what it is like to not be able to pay the rent. There are a lot of people who have known wonderful health, and are now suffering the painful effects of illness. There are a lot of people who had close relationships with family and friends, and now they are separated from those loved ones either because of estrangement or death. There are a lot of people who know what it is like to be respected in their community, but they also know what it means to experience racism or ridicule.
What if we all learned what Paul learned? The Secret to Being Content in any and every situation. What if, come hell or high water, we were able to live in a state of peaceful happiness? What a wonderful world that would be!
God wants us to have such a world. Jesus gave us a prayer to pray every day. In that prayer, we are to ask our heavenly Father to make this life on earth like the happy kingdom in heaven where everyone does God’s will. Or, in other words, to do life, with a feeling of satisfaction that everything will work out in the end because we walk with Jesus, the creator of the universe, and the creator of us. He made us and loves us and wants us to be happy, by trusting him in every situation. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future! Paul learned that secret. Hopefully we all can too. It's what I lean on every day!
