“But godliness with contentment is great gain. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” ( Matthew 6:32–33)Īfter all, our hope isn’t in what we have or don’t have here on earth. “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. How can we have this type of contentment? By turning our attention from what we think we need to the only thing that truly matters: 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) “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. Paul’s words from prison show this spiritual truth in action: After all, this world tells us that we “deserve to be happy,” and it’s easy to buy into that mindset.īut in Christ, we move our eyes off the things we don’t have, the frustrations that surround us, and we put them where they need to be. Apart from Christ, we’d quickly trip and stumble our way into bitterness and entitlement. Disappointments, setbacks, and delays keep hammering away at us. If there’s ever a fight that goes on in us humans, it’s the constant struggle to be content.
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” ( Ephesians 6:13) God equips us with the armor we need to stand firm: We aren’t meant to just slog through the pain we’re meant to see our faith blossom right in the face of our battles. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” ( James 1:2–4)Ĭhrist gives us the strength to not only endure the tough times, but also to grow during them. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James knew that type of struggle very well, and yet he could honestly say: But what truly sets us apart as followers of Jesus is that we can find victory in the most difficult trials. In Christ, we will certainly see joyful times, just as anyone does. We think of parades and celebrations.īut true victory often happens far away from the crowd.
We think of spotlights and TV coverage and fame. When we think of victory, we often envision champions with trophies or medals.
The strength of Christ reaches right down into our turmoil and pain.Īnd it’s there that we can truly do “all things.” Here are 3 surprising ways this happens: 1.
Despite the threat of pain and death, he realized that God gives us strength in ways that go beyond the good times and the everything-is-okay moments. You see, Paul wrote these words while facing some of the worst trials of his life. “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”īut there’s actually more encouragement in this verse than you might think at first.