I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. This was Paul's exortation to the believers in Philippi. Interestingly enough he wrote it from a Roman prison, probably chained to a Roman soldier. It wouldn't have been the easiest place to be content. The English sentence, as you can see, is only twelve words long but this tiny lesson speaks volumes. I have learned It goes without saying (though here I go) that Paul had an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. That relationship had not kept him from sadness, hurt, danger, or death. But it had helped him to understand that dealing with difficulties was a learned skill. We have all heard of the school of hard knocks. Paul understood that those knocks came from a divine source, the hand of his all loving Father.
Discovering the mind of Christ will take eternity. Learning how to deal with difficulty in my own walk is a daily application of the knocks that He sends my way. I cannot always understand why God does what He does but I can determine to allow what He does to teach me to walk closer to Him.
In whatsoever state I am... No matter where I am physically or spiritually I must look at my situation as a God ordained classroom. Learning is not always fun. In fact it is often painful drudgery. But I must remember that God is in it and He is always teaching me.
Therewith to be content This is where Paul leaves many of us in the dust. He decided to be content. My tendency is to grumble, complain, cry and moan. My situation is always worse than anyone else's! This attitude is a decision. It happens because I decide to grumble rather than be content in Christ's work in my life situation. Deciding is mental. Deciding comes before action. I have to make up my mind before it shows in what I do.
So, do I have to go to prison in order to come to this conclusion? Hope not!
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