Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard: Contentment

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 NKJV

This verse can easily be read along with Phil 4:19 'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.' They go hand in hand. Being content in Christ takes time to settle in our hearts. We can easily take these verses literally, especially v19, that God will give us all we ask Him for. We often miss the word 'need' in this verse. The verse doesn't say 'all you want', rather it says, 'all your need'. There's a big difference here and one in which many people have read it wrong. We can trust that God will supply our need and as we begin to trust Him even more, we can become more content in what He will supply.

In verse 13, we read that 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' Again, some people may read this verse wrong. God isn't saying that He will issue you with a blue lycra suit with an 'S' on the front and a pair of red underpants. He could do if He chose to but, it is highly unlikely. Read the verse properly, it says 'through Christ who strengthens.' God does not want you or I flying off around the place doing things that the film stars do. We come from Calvary, not Hollywood. There is only one superman here and that is the God-man, Jesus Christ. We need to stay in the boundaries of which He has called us to be.

Having said all that, God will give us what we need to handle a situation. He will strengthen us for the task and, He will give us the words to say, if we need to. In a way, you could imagine that God has given you a wire that is connected to your ear and back to Jesus' HQ, rather like the spy films. When we don't know what to do, He will tell us and show us the way forward. (Yes, I know that sounds like Hollywood, but I rather like that.)

God will always give us what we need to live our daily lives or to perform a task for Him.

You know, at times doing things for Jesus can be very exciting. For the last 10 years of my working life, I worked in a hospice, speaking with patients and families. My job was to help them face what was happening to them all. Not easy. I was not allowed to speak about Jesus at all, so I decided to be an 'undercover agent' for God. I would find out if they had a faith and take it from there. If they wanted to speak further, I took this that they had given me permission. I led quite a few people to Jesus during this time - patients and families. God gave me the opportunities and the strength to do it. It was so exciting working this way for Jesus. The secret was in them giving their permission and God did the rest.

God will give you the strength to do all things for Him and will provide what you need.

And that is what gives us the contentment to carry on.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle

Check it out

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2