The Secret Of Being Content
March 2015
"What's your secret?"
Has anyone ever asked you this? Maybe they wanted to know some of your business, or maybe just maybe they wanted to know:
What's your secret to JOY?
What's your secret to HAPPINESS?
What's your secret to PEACE?
What's your secret to being CONTENT?
When asked these questions, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
God? Family? Things? Accolades?
Let's go to the Word and find out the secret to being content.
"I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation......
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT).
"I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation..........
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]" (Philippians 4:12-13 AMP).
"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...... I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV).
How many times have you read Philippians 4:13 and started having a praise break because after all, "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST?!?!" Don't be dismayed friend, I have done it and still do it! I believe that when facing a difficult circumstance we can most definitely pray and speak this scripture over our lives and watch God show up and show out. But I also believe that this scripture is about more than just facing difficult circumstances. Paul lets us know that the secret to LIVING in EVERY situation, FACING EVERY SITUATION, and BEING CONTENT in ANY and EVERY SITUATION is knowing, believing, depending on, and walking in the unshakeable truth that YOU CAN through CHRIST who gives YOU strength! It's not about your strength or ability; it's about God's strength and His ability that is in you, empowering you to LIVE in, FACE, and BE CONTENT in ANY AND EVERY SITUATION!
"But Raven, what about .......?"
Whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little (NLT)
Whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want (AMP)
Whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want (NIV)
I absolutely LOVE the MSG version for these scriptures, it says:
"I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am" (Philippians 4:12-13 MSG).
Whether you have plenty or little, a sufficiency and enough to spare or are in want, hands full or empty......hear this, YOU can make it through ANYTHING, YOU can LIVE, FACE, and BE CONTENT in ANY AND EVERY SITUATION, through the ONLY ONE who makes you who you are and gives you strength! I don't care what your
......
is! If it's plenty of support or none at all, lots of friends or just one, single and believing God for the person that He has for you or married and believing God for children, the job of your dreams or not......whatever it is.....rest in God, the ONE who strengthens you, Who also enables and empowers you to make it through, to LIVE, to FACE, and to BE CONTENT!
Continue to pray and believe by faith that God will supply/meet every need and/or want that you have!
For Philippians 4:19 AMP says, "And my God will LIBERALLY supply (FILL TO THE FULL) my EVERY need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus!" Continue delighting yourself in HIM for Psalms 37:4 AMP says, "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and HE will give you the DESIRES and SECRET petitions of your heart!" And last, but certainly not least, don't walk around sad, busted, disgusted, and in fear! Continue seeking God first! He will add to your life the things that are right for you at the right time for Luke 12:31-32 AMP says, "Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and ALL these things shall be supplied to you also. Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom!" So, be encouraged, God knows what you have need of and HE WILL PROVIDE, but don't wait until the manifestation to be happy, joyful, peaceful, or content. Know, believe, depend on, and walk in the unshakeable, infallible, faithful, reliable, trustworthy, and steadfast WORD of GOD that says, right now, with or without, YOU CAN BE CONTENT in the ONE and through the ONE who gives you strength!
Has anyone ever asked you this? Maybe they wanted to know some of your business, or maybe just maybe they wanted to know:
What's your secret to JOY?
What's your secret to HAPPINESS?
What's your secret to PEACE?
What's your secret to being CONTENT?
When asked these questions, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
God? Family? Things? Accolades?
Let's go to the Word and find out the secret to being content.
"I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation......
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT).
"I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation..........
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]" (Philippians 4:12-13 AMP).
"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...... I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV).
How many times have you read Philippians 4:13 and started having a praise break because after all, "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST?!?!" Don't be dismayed friend, I have done it and still do it! I believe that when facing a difficult circumstance we can most definitely pray and speak this scripture over our lives and watch God show up and show out. But I also believe that this scripture is about more than just facing difficult circumstances. Paul lets us know that the secret to LIVING in EVERY situation, FACING EVERY SITUATION, and BEING CONTENT in ANY and EVERY SITUATION is knowing, believing, depending on, and walking in the unshakeable truth that YOU CAN through CHRIST who gives YOU strength! It's not about your strength or ability; it's about God's strength and His ability that is in you, empowering you to LIVE in, FACE, and BE CONTENT in ANY AND EVERY SITUATION!
"But Raven, what about .......?"
Whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little (NLT)
Whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want (AMP)
Whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want (NIV)
I absolutely LOVE the MSG version for these scriptures, it says:
"I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am" (Philippians 4:12-13 MSG).
Whether you have plenty or little, a sufficiency and enough to spare or are in want, hands full or empty......hear this, YOU can make it through ANYTHING, YOU can LIVE, FACE, and BE CONTENT in ANY AND EVERY SITUATION, through the ONLY ONE who makes you who you are and gives you strength! I don't care what your
......
is! If it's plenty of support or none at all, lots of friends or just one, single and believing God for the person that He has for you or married and believing God for children, the job of your dreams or not......whatever it is.....rest in God, the ONE who strengthens you, Who also enables and empowers you to make it through, to LIVE, to FACE, and to BE CONTENT!
Continue to pray and believe by faith that God will supply/meet every need and/or want that you have!
For Philippians 4:19 AMP says, "And my God will LIBERALLY supply (FILL TO THE FULL) my EVERY need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus!" Continue delighting yourself in HIM for Psalms 37:4 AMP says, "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and HE will give you the DESIRES and SECRET petitions of your heart!" And last, but certainly not least, don't walk around sad, busted, disgusted, and in fear! Continue seeking God first! He will add to your life the things that are right for you at the right time for Luke 12:31-32 AMP says, "Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and ALL these things shall be supplied to you also. Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom!" So, be encouraged, God knows what you have need of and HE WILL PROVIDE, but don't wait until the manifestation to be happy, joyful, peaceful, or content. Know, believe, depend on, and walk in the unshakeable, infallible, faithful, reliable, trustworthy, and steadfast WORD of GOD that says, right now, with or without, YOU CAN BE CONTENT in the ONE and through the ONE who gives you strength!