A line in my favorite song says: "I will be content in every circumstance..." That's a lot easier said than done. How many of us struggle with being content in every circumstance? You'd be lying if you told me you were always happy with whatever life brought your way. That's just not reality. Some circumstances are out of our control and as much as we would like them to change, they don't. They won't. Whether we understand it or not, God brings circumstances we don't like into our lives. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away (Job 1:21). I heard a message a few months ago where a preacher said, "You had to go through it. God said you had to go through it." God's plan for our lives does not depend on whether or not we agree with the circumstances we are placed in. He will accomplish His plan with or without us. That's why we need to learn, as hard as it is, to be content in every circumstance. Thankfully, the Bible shows us the right way to deal with every circumstance life brings us.
Philippians 4:11-12 (ESV) 11. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
It is easy to thank God for the blessings He gives us, but it's not as easy to be thankful when we are dealing with loss. When God takes away, that's the kind of circumstance we find it hard to be content with. Why? It's our human nature to grieve the loss. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, or loss of a job it is our nature to feel sad about these things. Even Jesus wept over the loss of a friend. However, He knew the pain was only temporary and that God had a greater plan. Through the death of a friend, Jesus performed a miracle (raising Lazarus from the dead). God's plan didn't hinge on how Jesus felt about the situation. His plan doesn't fall short because we are sad or frustrated or fearful about our circumstances. Our immediate response to loss is sadness and sometimes anger. We get mad at God, we question Him, and we feel like He has failed us in some way because He didn't give us the outcome we wanted.
Job was a man who was tested beyond what we could comprehend, yet He still would not curse God. The Bible says he "held fast his integrity" (Job 2:3). He was certainly dealing with some painful circumstances. First, all of Job's livestock and servants were killed. Next, his sons and daughters were killed. Finally, Job was struck with painful sores all over his body. As if that wasn't enough, his friends weren't very comforting and his wife told him to curse God and die. In all of this, Job still blessed God. He maintained his integrity. That doesn't mean he didn't feel the pain. He was sad about everything that happened but He knew God was greater than His circumstances.
1 Timothy 6:6 (ESV)-But godliness with contentment is great gain...
In the end, God was all Job had left and that was enough. When Job finally realized this, God restored him and gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). If Job had not learned to be content in every circumstance, who knows if God would have given him the blessings he received later in life. God doesn't expect us not to grieve our losses, but He doesn't want us to stay there. He desires and is worthy of our praise anyway.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)-In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
We often struggle with being as thankful for what God has taken away, as we are for what He has given. So what is the secret to being content in every circumstance? It's really simple: Jesus. He is the only one who can give us the strength we need to endure any and every circumstance. In Philippians 4:12, Paul says "I have learned the secret..." and then he goes on to tell us that secret in verse 13.
It says this: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 NKJV).
Through Christ, we are able to find peace and contentment in the midst of our circumstances, whatever they may be. We can go to the source of true strength and rest in Him. This is how we will learn to be content in every circumstance.
"I will be content in every circumstance. JIREH, you are enough..."
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