The Secret of Being Content

So, the Lord had me in Philippians 4:10-13 throughout the entire summer...and recently I went back through some journal entries I wrote this summer on these verses and came across this...I hope it blesses you as much as I did me. Enjoy!


"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." Phil 4:12

This verse hit me like a ton of bricks as I thought to myself, "Have I learned the secret of being content?" "What exactly is the secret of being content?" "What was Paul referring to?"

Paul who had been a persecutor of the church? Paul whose name was formally Saul...Paul who knew all too well what the inside of a prison cell looked like and had the experience of chains being shackled to his feet. Paul, who was called a liar, murderer and hypocrite after he made a commitment to follow Christ; Paul...what did Paul know about being content? How could he speak of being content after having such traumatic experiences?

Yet we find in this one verse a powerful declaration..."I have learned the secret of being content." Perhaps Paul...while he was locked in prison...back freshly bruised from being beaten...perhaps Paul had learned how not to focus on the beating or the chains, but the God who took a beating for us...and who has the power to free us from our own chains. Perhaps Paul focused on God. In the midst of his struggle and situation...perhaps he took his eyes off of his situation long enough to focus on the God who is above every situation. And in doing so activated a kind of hope and peace that one can only obtain when they choose to take their eyes off of their circumstances and place them on the creator who is greater than our circumstances.

Maybe Paul did this and as he began to focus on the creator and reflect on His character...on the fact that He is faithful and that He does not change; That He holds all power in his hands and that "He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us to give us a hope and a future," Jeremiah29:11. Perhaps as he thought about these things he became content.

You see the secret of being content is really no secret at all...but it's a choice that we make...a choice not focus on our circumstances or problems but the God who is greater than our circumstances and problems!

So this day I'm choosing not to focus on my problems but my God...my God who shall supply all of my needs…I'm choosing to be content in Him!

How about you? Will you join me in this?

Massages & Vacations, True Peace?

"If only I could go on vacation again; If only I could get a massage...every month that is, then I would be at rest...then I wouldn't be stressed; Then I could simply relax...and exhale!"

These are the things I tell myself...month after month...day after day. Thinking that these things can bring the peace of mind & satisfaction that I so desire. But after experiecing these momentary pleasures, I go back to the grind of life only to feel the same stress & strain I thought a vacation could permanently alleviate.

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." These are the words Jesus spoke to his disciples a few days before He was to be crucified. It was sometime after the Lord's supper & he was trying to prepare them for the coming of the comforter (the Holy Spirit) that would provide the peace that He spoke of.

But why did He have to tell his disciples this?

They were in fact the one's who had the priviledge of following Jesus throughout His earthly ministry. They had been the select few that got the opportunity to know Jesus intimately. Why did they need to hear Jesus speak these words?

Perhaps it was because they were beginning to look to other things & people to bring them peace. Perhaps it was because although they had been with Jesus they hadn't really "been with Jesus." They had been with him but hadn't gotten to know Him. Can we in fact be with Jesus...spend time around the things of God...you know like church, Bible study, Christian music & the like and still not really know Him?

I confess this is where I've been lately...ministering to others; encouraging others; preparing Bible studies & sermons but looking to a 1 hour massage to bring me peace of mind. When the real peace of mind I seek can't be found in the things of this world, but in the One who created this world and holds it in the palm of His hands. He is the only one that can massage the stress of life out of our worn bodies. He is the only one that promises true vacation from the grind of life when He invites us to, "come to Him, those that are weary & heavy laden & He will provide rest for our souls" (Matt 11:28).

Yes, Jesus is our true peace & promises to provide us with an experience of peace that we can't even comprehend (Phil 4:7)...but we first have to come!

So what have you looked to lately to provide you with peace? How have you experienced God's peace in your life as a result of coming to Him? I'd love to hear from you.

Dionne

New Year's Resolutions: To Do or Not To Do That is The Question

It is official...we have ushered in a new year...a new decade to be exact. And with that comes new goals, new lists, new resolutions or not...I could go on but I think you get the point. It's a new year and like many people, I'm sure we've all thought about the new and/or different things we want to do this year. The New Year's resolution we want to make. But like many people, by next week the resolutions will be long gone and forgotten and we will be back to doing things the "old way."

Or Not!

Maybe we (you and I that is) can start this new year off in a different way. Consider the following:

I want to pose two different questions and I'm eager to hear your responses. I'm not big on new year's resolutions myself. But I am always eager to see how God is going to move in my life and in the lives of those around me in a new year. So, with that said I'm posing two questions for this post:

1. How do you expect to see God move in your life in 2010? To answer this question you may want to think about somethings that you've been praying about or some ways that you've heard God speak to you in 2009...maybe this is the time in which He will bring those things to pass. However you choose to answer this, remember that the overall question is what are you expecting to see God do in your life in 2010? What doors are you eager to see God open? What ways are you desperate to see Him make? What changes need to be made? How are you expecting to see God move?

As for me...I'm expecting to see God open new doors for both my husband and I in ministry...new opportunities to proclaim the Gospel...to make God's name famous. More opportunities to learn of Him. I'm also expecting to see God use me in ways that He hasn't used me before. I am expecting to be stretched in 2010...to be developed...to be transformed. I am also expecting to see changes in those family and friends that I've been praying for. I am expecting to see God do some awesome and amazing things in my life and in the lives of those around me!

OK, so now that you have that question in mind, here is the second one:

2.) What needs to be done in you in 2010? Or what area is God calling you to be more faithful in? Maybe you need to work on being more patient. Or maybe you need the Lord to help you deal with how you express your anger. I encourage you to be honest with yourself, but also ask the Lord what needs to be done in you in 2010. I can be honest and say that I could definitely use some patience in 2010...I also desire to embody God's peace and not be so easily swayed by the things going on around me. Finally, I want to embody the love of Christ...I desire to be more loving. Not just to those who are easy to love but even to those who make it difficult for me to love.

I'm sure you already know this, but in order for us to accomplish these things we definitely can not do them on our own...we need the power and might of the Holy Spirit! So as you reflect on the thing or things that need to be within you, do so depending on the Spirit of God!

OK, so now it is your turn...How do you expect to see God move in your life in 2010 and what needs to be done in you in 2010? Write back, I'd love to hear from you!

Dionne J. Edmonds

Caught in the Middle

"So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."-Revelation 3:16

It was a Monday morning and I had just come home from a great work out at the gym. I had done my 40 minutes of cardio and even lifted a few weights to exercise my upper body. So naturally, by the time I made it home from the gym I was extremely hungry. So much so that I could already taste the delicious meal I was going to warm up in the microwave. My husband had made dinner for us the night before and I could taste the catfish and mixed vegetables in my mouth. I was so excited to eat that I quickly put all the contents of my meal onto a paper plate and placed it into the microwave. One minute and thirty seconds should be enough, I thought to myself as I punched the numbers on the key pad and pressed start. I fixed myself a glass of water and cleared my spot at our kitchen table, eagerly waiting for the loud "beep" to sound, letting me know my food was finished. Just as I wiped the table down and cleared my seat, the microwave "beeped." I opened the door, reached in to gather my plate, grabbed my utensils and sat down to enjoy my delicious meal. I had everything I needed and it was just a matter of moments before I would be enjoying my delicious meal...or so I thought...
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I picked up my fork, dug into my first piece of fish, and brought it up to my mouth to enjoy the savory flavors of all of the herbs and spices my husband had used to make this delicious food. But to my surprise, as I bit into my first piece of fish, I did not get what I was expecting...for the fish was not hot...it was not cold...but it was lukewarm...in the middle...it wasn't as if I had left this fish in too long causing it to burn. Or as if I hadn't warmed it up at all causing it to be cold...but I guess I hadn't left it in long enough...because the piece I had placed into my mouth was LUKEWARM!! I couldn't believe it, this just couldn't be true...I was way to hungry for this to be happening...I reached down with my fork and put some mixed vegetables on and just as soon as I placed them in my mouth...my tongue was greeted by more "lukewarm" food. Who wants lukewarm food?
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In our text for today, John the last surviving apostle, "the one whom Jesus loved," is now banished to the barren Island of Patmos by the Roman authorities for preaching the gospel. While there he receives a series of visions containing a message from the Lord for each church. In chapter 3, he addresses the church at Laodicea which was neither cold, openly rejecting Christ, nor hot, filled with spiritual zeal. Instead its members were lukewarm, persons professing to know Christ, but not truly belonging to Him. And because they were straddling the fence, the Lord promised to "vomit them out of His mouth."
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Similar to the lukewarm food that was not desirable, a lukewarm Christian is not desirable to God. To be lukewarm is to be caught in the middle...not hot...not cold...but lukewarm...not an atheist...not a lover of Christ...but some where in the middle. Maybe you profess him on one day, but deny him another day in your thoughts, your words or even your actions...and it's the constant back and forth motion that cause you to be caught in the middle. In addition, it's the "straddling of the fence," the one foot in the world and the one foot in the church, that cause others to look at you and question whether you really are a follower of Christ. Being lukewarm is not only something that we struggle with as individuals, but as a community of believers as well. How often has the church presented herself before the Lord and to the world, in a such a way that caused others to question her. How often does the church open her doors to one kind of person and close her doors to the "other." How often do we as believers extend our hands to the needly and close our mouths to the persons sitting next to us in the pews. How much do we as believers profess Christ openly within the four walls of the church, only to leave and blend in with the world? Are we lukewarm? Neither hot, nor cold, but caught in the middle...straddling the fence? If so, are we ready to deal with the consequences of needing to be spit out of God's mouth...away from his care and protection?
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The good news is that God loves us enough not to see us remain in that state...as followers of Christ, He does not want to see us remain in darkness (as we once were before he entered into our lives), but He desires that all who know Him would "walk as children of Light," for we are now Light in the Lord. And if you do not know him he desires for you to know Him, in order that you would no longer be cold, or walking in darkness.
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I invite you to reflect on what it means to be "lukewarm" and then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you whether or not you are lukewarm. And if so, what changes need to be made so that you do not have to remain caught in the middle. As you pray, trust that the Holy Spirit will give you the strength and power you need to overcome the things that cause you to be lukewarm.
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As we move throughout this season of Advent, reflecting on the birth of our Savior, let us do so knowing that He entered into the world to save us, not that we would be lukewarm, but that we experience true freedom in Christ.

What are your thoughts on this? Please feel free to share.

Got Hope?

It was the dawning of a new day for many as signs of hope literally filled the air, as he stepped out onto the platform with wife Michelle at his side. Raising his right hand before a rainbow colored crowd...he was sworn in as America's 1st African American President. His campaign that was characterized by a four letter word called H-O-P-E, rocked the foundation of this nation by setting unprecedented highs in what was considered to be the most popular election in American history. Yes, he's turned heads and gotten people's attention with the promise of HOPE, by infusing people with the feeling that something desired is possible, in a time when many feel all is lost. He is our 44th President, Barack Obama.

In Psalm 42 the psalmist cries out in desperation and thirst for a living God. His soul that is filled with anguish because of the attacks from his enemy has caused him to slip into a valley of deep despair. Tormented by the words of his adversaries that question the presence of his God, the psalmist has lost hope and does not look to the future with desired confidence.

But as he belts out the cries of his soul...something happens...a change occurs...a shift takes place and he is able to question the state of his soul: "My spirit why are you so sad? Why are you down inside me? Put your hope in God." It seems that with this simple phrase he is able to set his soul straight again. But what caused the dispair in the first place? What contributed to the loss of hope? Perhaps he was feeling hopeless because he had placed his hope in the wrong things. Perhaps he had placed his hope in himself, instead of an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, God!

I confess that the times when I've felt the most hopeless in my life I was placing my hope in the wrong things. Just this morning I was crying out to the Lord in a state of confusion and distress. I felt that I couldn't find peace if it was handed over to me. As I cried to the Lord about my confused state....I felt myself becoming increasingly bitter about my circumstances. I said to the Lord: "I have no idea where my future is headed. I have so many unanswered questions and haven't been able to make a decsion about the things that are on my plate because I can't hear your voice. And I feel hopeless."

And just as quickly as these words left my mouth, the Holy Spirit spoke these words to me: "Perhaps your feeling hopeless because your voice is drowning out mine. Perhaps you are working over time to fix your situation and to line things up for yourself instead of allowing me to bring order to your situation for you. Perhaps you've gotten too confident and feel as if you've got it all together and can work all things out for yourself. Perhaps you've placed your hope in yourself and not in Me."

These words hit me like a ton of bricks...but just as they were settling into my mind...it happened...I was flooded by an overwhelming sense of peace as I stumbled upon these words in Psalm 42, "Put your hope in God. Once again I will have reason to praise him. He is my savior and my God." It was in that moment that I knew that these words that were penned by the psalmist over 2000 years ago, ring true today and speak to my very situation. Perhaps they will speak to yours...

"Put your hope in God...He is my savior and God"

To place your hope in God is to place your confidence in Him..."It's to trust in Him with all of your heart and not to lean on your own understanding, but to acknowledge Him in all of your ways knowing that He will direct your path," (Prov. 3:13). To place your hope in God is to seek His face for guidance instead of seeking the faces of family and friends...it's to seek His word for direction before you seek direction from your daily horoscope or favorite magazine. To place your hope in God is to commit to trusting Him even when you can't trace Him. For unlike the hope that man offers to us, the hope found in God is unconditional and eternal.

What have you put your hope in? Have you placed more hope in yourself than you have in the One who created you? Why are you sad? Why is your soul down cast? Why are you so upset deep down inside? Put your hope in God and once again you will have reason to praise Him. For He is your Saviour and your God.