The Secret of Contentment (vs.13) – We have to learn it
That is a process. We can know what the secret is but still not be able to use it. It must be learned to “work” for us (experienced).
Society says we must meet our needs or we haven’t fulfilled our life, and they define what we think we need. Even the church has bought into these lies. But the primary role of man is not to have our needs met, it is to worship God and enjoy Him.
We must learn to live with less and how to deal with more. Learn with more so to be able to deal with less, the problem is we do not deal with more so we cannot deal with less, we cannot cope if things are taken away from us, it is as if our hope is gone, but we attached our hope to the wrong things.
Your PART in contentment
• Providence – You learn to trust in the providence of God. “And I am sure of this” (1:6) Providence is a term to indicate that God provides, but it really means more than that, it means that He orchestrates everything to accomplish His purpose.
• Acting accordingly – You learn to walk in obedience and reverence toward God (2:12-13). The most important thing about you, me, about the universe, is Jesus. Isaiah 40:28-31 / I have seen God do things that only He could do.
• Realizing the goal – You learn not to look back. You learn to press on, to not rest on your laurels but to learn more. We have to keep on learning, to forget the past and press on (3:12-14)
• Time – You learn to face your fears in faith, to have peace in trials, to joy in the Lord, to pray with faith to God, to think on good things, and to have contentment, to be strengthened for all things through Christ. |
