The secret of contentment

Adapted from a Flickr photo by Thomas Shahan, Creative Commons License
Adapted from a Flickr photo by Thomas Shahan, Creative Commons License

The deeper you get into situations you don’t like, the more you discover that Jesus is already there. Where did I find joy? When I was grieving the death of someone I loved. Where did I find peace? At the center of my anxieties. Where do I find contentment? As things I want are taken away from me.

Richard Wurmbrand who wrote Tortured for Christ speaks of his solitary prison cell walls turning into a million glittering diamonds. He speaks of leaping for joy in prison. How did he get to that point? He found Jesus in the place where he didn’t want to go.

I have no advice for those of you who are going through trouble. What good is my advice? But I know that Jesus really is our Savior. That means He shows up when we need Him. I don’t know how He turns grief into joy, suffering into triumph, poverty into wealth.

I just know that our life is defined not by our circumstances, but by our Savior.

From the Bible: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. 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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13 NIV

Be encouraged!
Dwight

PS. Are you getting my weekly email? It contains a round up of the best EmpowerGood resources plus exclusive content like “7 Freedoms—Your birthright as a child of God.”

Filed under: Uncategorized