Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Hebrews 4:11

Contentment (According to Strong’s in Hebrew 2974): to begin, make a beginning, show willingness, undertake to do, be pleased, be determined, to resolve, to agree to, and to accept an invitation.

According to the above definition, contentment is associated with things being resolved. Some of us have a tendency not to reach a resolution in life. There are several reasons for unresolved issues:

Regrets

Unfortunately, some have lost relationships or opportunities in the past because they did not value them when they had them. They have regrets about the past, and they cannot get beyond it. This continues to cause turmoil in their hearts and minds and keeps them stuck in the past.

Paul admitted that he was the persecutor of the church before he knew Christ. Before knowing Christ, he was bent on ensuring that the Christians were imprisoned or persecuted. However, when Jesus met Him, he became a different man.

If we want to experience contentment in  life, we must take God at His word. We must repent and believe that God has completely forgiven us. That truth changes our hearts, minds, attitudes, and actions. God redeems situations in His time and in His way. Our part is to sow seeds of love, to obey His instructions, and to live right. This allows His process to work out in our lives. 

Contention

Some people are gifted with a sharp mind, but they do not know how to switch it off and relax. They have a tendency to first see the problems and not trust others. This causes continual contention, criticism, and arguments that affects their relationships and makes them lose contentment and peace in life. Spiritually, they may even consider themselves watchmen and feel an obligation to be suspicious of others.

Contention stifles growth and creates dissatisfaction in relationships. Humility is an antidote to contention. We need to be humble enough to realize that before we arrived, people were doing just fine without being scrutinized under our microscope. They don’t need our quality control to get in line in life. This does not mean that we don’t express our concerns, but it requires prayerfully to take the matter to the Lord and let him purify our hearts.  We also need to inquire if we are led by God or by fear. 

Perfectionism

Some people have a war in their heads. They argue in their minds about all sorts of things. They don’t have a resolution to things because they are looking for the perfect answer.  This keeps them in a state of anxiety. Uncertainty and stress causes discontentment in life because they don’t know when to be satisfied with a decision and/or an outcome.

Those who are perfectionist have a tendency not to ever be pleased with their work or with others’ work. There is always room for improvement. As a result, they are not able to move on and enjoy their accomplishments. This keeps people in a state of discontentment.

We need to learn to rejoice in the smaller steps taken rather than waiting to reach a certain goal. Paul encouraged all believers to rejoice continually. Don’t let the enemy rob you of the opportunity to rejoice until you reach the final outcome. God’s process can take a long time, and if we only rejoice when we reach the desired outcome, we will rarely be content in life. 

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Hebrews 4:11

Contentment (According to Strong’s; Hebrew 2974): to begin, make a beginning, show willingness, undertake to do, be pleased, be determined, to resolve, to agree to, and to accept an invitation.

In the last devotional, I shared about Paul’s passion and his uncompromising focus in sharing Christ. At the same time, he was not concerned about his lack or his plenty. He had learned to be content.

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, Philippians 1:15-18

Paul was also content in his work and ministry.  Paul’s desire was to preach Christ and Him crucified! He was not concerned about those who tried to outshine him and compete with His ministry. Paul’s passion gave him a narrow focus that allowed his criteria for contentment to be simple and uncomplicated.

In every environment, it is a matter of time before a pecking order is established. Sometimes, the leaders are aware of it and encourage it, and, at other times, it is done subtly and in a manipulative manner. Nonetheless, the affect is the same. People begin to lose sight of their mission, and they begin to focus on outshining others or being concerned about being outshone by others.  This was even true in Jesus’ circle.

The carnal nature is bent on selfish ambition and competition. If we feed it, there is always a new person that has to be competed against. Competition causes a political spirit that leads to division and cliques. An environment of competition is not conducive to contentment. 

Right now our government is plagued with competition and division. Each party wants to protect its interests and ensure that the other side is invalidated and looks evil. When these politicians began their political career 20-30 years ago, most likely, they came with the intent to serve America’s interests. However, after all these years, their focus has changed. There is a continual division, backbiting, and undermining each other’s work. If you read or watch the news, you will be saddened by everything that is going wrong. 

Paul in simplicity of his devotion for Christ and recognizing that all of that striving was rubbish compared to the surpassing knowledge of God, did not care what others were doing. As long as they were preaching Christ, he rejoiced in it whether their motive was pure or not. 

How do you relate to others? Do you have a tendency to compare yourself to others? Do others feel that you are competing with them? How do you handle those who compete with you? If we desire to be content, we need to renew our minds and habits in this area. 

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Hebrews 4:11

Contentment is not a natural state but a supernatural one. Paul tells us that he had learned to be content; he had to work on developing contentment in his life.

Jesus did the work of Salvation on the cross, and we receive it as a free gift when we believe and respond to him. However, contentment is part of the sanctifying work of God in our lives. The system of this world and our old nature are bent on lack and dissatisfaction. We learn to grow in contentment by renewing our minds, reevaluating our value system, and reprioritizing what is important.

How do we learn to be content? What are the elements that lead us in that direction? This is the subject of the next few devotionals. 

Contentment (According to Strong’s in Hebrew 2974): to begin, make a beginning, show willingness, undertake to do, be pleased, be determined, to resolve, to agree to, and to accept an invitation.

The above definition paints a picture of a person who is soft, pliable, interested, and on point. The more we are willing to stay flexible in life, the easier it is for us to be content. Staying soft and pliable affects the quality of our relationships and allows us not to be in continual contention or disagreement. People who are flexible have learned to pick their battles carefully. These individuals are also decisive and focused individuals who know what is really important in life. 

Paul was a man passionate for Christ, but there were many things that were immaterial to him because  his focus was the Kingdom not his own wants or desires. He refused to compromise when it came to sharing Christ with others. On the other hand, when faced with where he was going to sleep or what he was going to eat, it did not matter to him.

We are blessed with so many options in the US, that sometimes it causes us to be very particular about everything including the type of coffee we drink and its right temperature. While this doesn’t sound like a big deal, all of these little things become conditions for contentment. They distract us and take away our focus from what is really important.

Are you majoring on the majors rather than being distracted by the minor things in life?

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3: 3-4 (NIV)

To live in love and faithfulness requires us to exercise our new nature. Our old nature is set on self-preservation that is rooted in fear. In self-preservation mode, we don’t think about being loving and faithful; we just want our interests protected. Self-interest does not invite the favor of God or man, and it brings about division and dissension between people.  Love and faithfulness belong to our new nature born out of the character of God who is loving and faithful. They are also two attributes of the fruit of the Spirit operating in our lives as stated in Galatians 5:22.

Joseph is a great example of someone who walked in love and faithfulness and had favor with God and with man.

The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.  So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. Genesis 39: 2-4

In studying the life of Joseph, we see that his relationship with God remained intact regardless of the circumstances. Because of his assurance of the love of God, he did not retaliate or quit. Joseph had faith in the love and faithfulness of God. Therefore, he remained faithful to God’s purpose in his life.

Joesph was consistent in fulfilling his assignments despite facing betrayals and accusation from his family and his master’s wife. He was also able to be loving towards his brothers when he reunited with them years later. He even blessed them by giving them a fertile field to occupy. Joseph knew God was with him and that the Lord was faithful to him. This gave him the strength to be loving and faithful towards God and towards man, and it gained the favor of God and man.

Joesph had a beautiful relationship with his earthly father, Jacob, that must have helped him in relating to the Lord properly. Some of us have not had that kind of a relationship with our earthly father. However, we have something that Joesph did not have; we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and counselor. Salvation has given us a new nature, and we need to continually let go of the past and allow God to paint a picture of how a father is supposed to look like. 

Having faith in God’s love and faithfulness is the very thing that allows us to overcome. We guard our hearts by keeping those truths around our neck and writing them on the tablets of our hearts. If we remain in God’s love by believing that He is for us, it keeps us stable and firm. This assurance is the foundation that helps to establish us as a loving and faithful person. 

If you are challenged by a situation right now, meditate on the above scripture and embrace the love of God and His faithfulness. Allow the goodness and the love of God to comfort you and strengthen you. Don’t let anything else distract you and just focus on Him. 

Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4 (NKJV)

I have been reading my Bible in New International Version (NIV) lately. The above verse is translated as follows:

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3: 3-4 (NIV)

The NIV translates “truth” into “faithfulness”, which is another meaning for that word according to the root Hebrew word as indicated below.

Definition of truth: (Hebrew H 571): firmness, faithfulness, sureness, reliability, stability, continuance.

In the past, I have tried to be loving and faithful, and at times, I have failed because my heart was not in a right relationship with the Lord. Sometimes, I did a poor job being loving and faithful, and at other times, I did it grudgingly.

Depending on how we interpret and apply the above scripture, it can lead some of us to try to do it in our own strength and self-effort. This eventually gets very exhausting and discouraging. When we find ourselves working hard at being loving and faithful, we should dig a little deeper by examining the foundation that this scripture is built upon. 

I used to think that the above scripture tells me that it’s my responsibility to be loving and faithful, and this would win the favor of God and man. Today, the Lord gave me a deeper understanding of this scripture. He revealed to me that in order for me to be able to live out this verse, I need to always remember God’s love and faithfulness towards me. I should wear them around my neck and never allow those truths to leave my heart. That gives me the foundation, the backbone, and the confidence to love and be faithful towards God and others. 

If we just seek after having favor with God and with man, we miss the point. Having the favor of God and man is the byproduct of our heart condition before God. There are many who seek the favor of man, but their hearts are bent on self-interest and selfish ambition. The above verse shows us the foundation and the process that takes us there. I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”  But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. John 2: 18-21

Sometimes God’s immediately requires a paradigm shift. Jesus was telling His disciples about the true temple of God and that he was going to get crucified and be resurrected. However, the Jews focused on a building.

Some of the things we struggle with require a change of perspective. As long as we are stuck in our way of looking at it, there doesn’t seem to be a way out. If we can take our eyes off of the natural realm, we find that God can change our hearts and deliver us in a moment’s notice.

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. John 5: 5-9

The man at the pool had been in his condition for a long time, and he didn’t see a way out. In addition, he didn’t think he had anyone to help him with his condition. He saw himself a victim of his circumstances. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, He was calling the man to evaluate his thoughts and his attitude towards getting well. He was re-infusing him with hope!

We cannot forget that Jesus is still in the business of doing miracles that sets people free and changes their lives. On Monday, when I published the first part of this devotional, I was tormented by the past, and it was causing great anxiety in me. Some of those issues were from 30-40 years ago. While I was at the gym that morning, I felt led to pray, and I rebuked and cast out the spirit of abandonment. Within minutes, I felt like a different  person. The torment was over, and God had restored peace in my heart. My husband later confirmed that my countenance had completely changed. Just an hour prior, I didn’t even know the way out of those thoughts and emotions. God did what humanly was not possible through logic and passing of time.

We need to begin believing in God’s immediate work and not just rely on our logic. The sooner we surrender ourselves to God’s miraculous power, the sooner we give room for God to move in His way. May the Lord re-infuse you with hope for the work He can do in your life immediately!

Most of us are very familiar with God’s process. We know that His process can take months, years, and sometimes decades to be completed.  However, there is another side to the kingdom of God. God is also the God of suddenly and immediately. He can make something happen when in the natural, it should have taken a long time. Sometimes, God works through miracles and something happens that humanly is impossible to happen so fast.

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.  When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” John 2:6-10

In the above scripture,  Jesus turns the water into wine. For the wine to ferment, it would take at least months. Some wines take years to become rich in flavor, but Jesus was able to do this Immediately. His miracle allowed water that is clear and flavorless to become wine that is rich in color, flavor, and potency.  

Sometimes, when we look at the circumstances of our lives, we see ourselves without flavor or color.  We perceive ourselves as incapable and unskilled. For instance, we may desire to apply for a job but don’t feel qualified. At other times, we may feel pressed for time. It feels like the resolution to the problem is impossible in a timely manner. For example, we may desire to have children but we are getting too old. We may desire to see a miracle in a situation, but time is running out.

God is the master of impossibilities. He has the power and capability to work suddenly in your situation. What naturally may take months or years to see a resolution, God is able to do immediately. Praise God that we have a God who works miracles on behalf of His children.

Today, submit the problem to Him. Recognize that He is bigger than your situation. Give thanks for what He already has done in your life, and trust Him for His miraculous touch upon your situation.  

So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” Exodus 15:24

The Israelites found themselves without water, and they complained to Moses about it. Moses was in the same predicament as the people were, but somehow they were demanding water from Moses. Every time people complained about something, Moses went before the Lord to get an answer for their issues.

If the Israelites had prayed to God and sought Him for their needs, it would have helped them to take their focus off of their leader. Moses was not their savior only a leader appointed by God. He had never been to the Promised Land, neither did he know the troubles along the way. The journey was new to everyone. Moses was wholly dependent on God’s provision every step of the way as they were.

We have a similar problem. We see this in our expectations of government. Every time there is a lack or ill in society, we look to our governmental leaders to have an answer to the problem. At the same time, people insist that there is separation of church and state. The Lord is involved in all of our affairs and He is not separated from any aspect of society. He is the only one who has truthful and sure answers, but most of us are willing to settle for short-lived political decisions to ease our anxiety for the moment.  Instead, we should humble ourselves before God and seek His face for the solutions He has for our society and our nation.

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33

When Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, they were supposed to come out to worship the Lord and to seek Him. However, they wasted most of those years being worried about their lack and complaining about their lives. 

Sometimes the journey may be full of unexpected twists and turns, but we should remind ourselves about the purpose of the journey. What are we seeking? Are we seeking to worship the Lord in the midst of uncertain situations? Or are we waiting to arrive to our destination before we celebrate God?

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. We need to live in such a way that our lives hold on to the evidence of what God has spoken to us until they are materialized in reality. Otherwise, we will continue to live in the desert of doubt and anxiously wonder if God is going to come through for us. 

The Bible does not tell us that any of the Israelites died from dehydration or starvation, but many of them died in the desert due to doubt, unbelief, and disobedience.

Today is a good day to seek the Lord, worship Him, and trust Him in the midst of your situation. 

Uncertainty Can Lead to Retreat

In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:2-4

The Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians and the living/working conditions in Egypt were horrible. Yet, they continued to grumble about leaving Egypt.  Suddenly, Egypt looked very appealing to them, and they preferred the pain of slavery in Egypt rather than depending on God in uncertain conditions.

Uncertainty has a tendency to make us retreat to our past familiar circumstances. The past circumstances may have been horrible, but we would rather be in painful familiar places rather than unnerving and unfamiliar new circumstances.

Sometimes, we wonder why people go back to abusive relationships or return to their addictions. Sometimes children follow their parents’ bad patterns while they may have promised themselves not to ever follow. I have it heard it being said that it is easier to leave Egypt than to let Egypt leave your heart. 

Since we like to be in control of our lives, our flesh has a tendency to draw to familiar and controlled environment rather than allowing the spirit man to take the lead in unfamiliar and uncharted territories. 

I have been guilty of this quite a few times in my life. I have stayed in bad situations out of the fear of the unknown.  I want to live my life differently. I desire to trust God in uncharted territories rather than leaning on my own understanding of the situation.

Our carnal understanding  is dependent on our past knowledge. We like to depend on our past experience because it makes us feel confident and in control.  On the other hand,  our spiritual understanding is dependent on God’s revelation, which gives us fresh experience with God. However, this is the place of vulnerability and dependency, which our carnal nature tries to avoid. 

When restlessness, grumbling, or anxiety enter into our hearts, it is a signal that we have begun relying on our carnal nature. It is time to evaluate our thoughts and reject those thoughts that come against the knowledge of God. The uncertainty will try push us back and keep us bound to the past, but we don’t have to come into agreement with it. We have a choice to make by declaring and decreeing who God is for us and what He has spoken over our lives. 

Are you in uncertain new circumstances right now? Are you able to seek the mind of Christ in this situation?  Are you able to make yourself vulnerable before God?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

How do you respond when things don’t turn out as you expected? We all seek to reach our goal or destination with least amount of resistance, but sometimes there are giants along the way that need to be slain.

Discontentment leads to blaming the leaders

All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”  So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” Numbers 14:2-4

Moses’ life was at risk just like everyone else. As a young man, he gave up the palace to identify with his own people. Later on when God called Him, he risked his life several times by going to Pharaoh repeatedly and asking him to free God’s people. He was subject to the same risks that they were. Moses didn’t know how the journey was going to look like, but that didn’t make him a bad leader. 

We have a tendency to think that the leaders should always have the answers to all our problems. In reality, they are following God just like the rest of us. Sometimes, they don’t know what the next step is until the Lord makes it clear to them. God has designed it that way, so we can always look to Him rather than seeking our leaders. 

Uncertain Circumstances can lead to unbelief

What is worse is that the Israelites questioned God’s integrity and accused Him of bringing them out of Egypt to die by the sword of the Canaanites. Why would God want to kill them by going through the process of freeing them from the hands of Pharaoh? He sent several plagues to Egypt and parted the Red Sea to rescue His people. The Israelites had allowed their fearful emotions to paint a false picture of God for them.

We can praise God for His faithfulness and at the next uncertain moment, wonder of God’s intentions towards us. In uncertain times, it is imperative to overcome our emotions and believe God’s goodness and kindness toward us. If faith takes us to experiencing God, our faith will grow. If we wait to experience God before we develop faith, we will tend to be at a deficit of faith in uncertain times. 

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.