A Lesson That Needs to be Learned

No matter how much we already have, there's something inside each of us wanting just that bit more. And that desire for more, as things turn out, is the arch-enemy of contentment. The lie we tell ourselves is this: that if I have just that little bit more (whatever it may happen to be) then I'll be content for evermore. Imelda Marcos, the former First Lady of the Philippines, was infamous for her shoe collection. In 1986, after her husband's ousting from power, over 3,000 pairs were discovered in her residence – a collection she'd amassed while much of the Filipino population suffered in poverty. The truth is that if we continue to fuel our desire for more with more, then more will never be enough. Paradoxically, contentment is a lesson that's best learned in the crucible of suffering. Writes the Apostle Paul from his prison cell … Philippians 4:11-13 I have learned to be satisfied with what I have and with whatever happens. I know how to live when I am poor and when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of how to live through any kind of situation—when I have enough to eat or when I am hungry, when I have everything I need or when I have nothing. Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do. Contentment doesn't come naturally – what does come naturally is the constant desire for more. No, contentment's a lesson that we have to learn. And as we do, during those difficult times, know this. It bears such wonderful fruit; the absolute knowledge that no matter your circumstances … Christ is the one who'll give you the strength you need to do whatever you have to do. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.