We are going to continue to talk about the heart today. The condition of your physical heart is one of the most important things to your body. The condition of your spiritual heart is one of the most important things to your soul. The book of proverbs says to guard your heart because out of it comes the issues of life. You can have two people go through exactly the same thing, for instance, Job and his wife went through the same trial together. Job responded in faith, she did not respond with faith. It is the same way in life today. Two people can go through the exact same thing as someone else, and it may completely devastate one and not really bother the other at all. Why is that?? It is because no matter what you are going through it is only as bad as it seems to your heart. If someone does better than you, it will seem really BAD to your heart if jealousy if alive and well inside of you. If someone does something you do not like, it will seem really bad to your heart if you are trying to control everything. If you have to struggle day by day to make ends meet, it will seem really bad to your heart if you desire easy living or the comfort of wealth. Why is it that two woman can have the exact same dress and one of them is happy to have clothes and the other is embarrassed of it? It is because one of them has pride in her heart and the other does not. When you begin to learn that it is not the things that you go through that make you unhappy, you will begin to learn how to live this life with contentment. When you begin to learn that hard times, or bad circumstances is not what makes you miserable, but, it is your OWN heart you are beginning to understand.
Paul said, in Philippians 4 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 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. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
He said I have LEARNED to be content. So we see that being satisfied and peaceful does not come from outward circumstance, but from an inward training of the heart to find contentment. The more jealousy you have in your heart, the hard it will be for you to walk in contentment. The more ease of comfort you desire in life, the harder it will be to live in contentment. The more greed and anger and desire for things you have in your heart, the harder it will be to find contentment. The more you want to control others, or situations around you, the harder it will be for you to find contentment. The more you want to be loved and respected, the harder it will be for you to find contentment. Do you have a heart that WANTS WANTS WANTS? Than you are going to spend a lot of miserable days on this earth! When I live to love God with all my heart, and to love my neighbor as myself, the selfish desires and motives of my heart begin to lose their hold as I repent and yield to the Spirit of God in my life.
What does that mean for you when you can learn to be content no matter what the circumstances? IT means that no matter how bad of a situation that you find your self in, you can be content, peaceful, joyful, happy, ready to give and receive love. It means you are free, free to love as God loves.
The book of Timothy says: And having food and clothing let us be with these things content.
The book of Hebrews says: Let your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.
When we are looking at our circumstance, our problems, and the people who are around us, and we are demanding that they change so that we can get some peace and contentment we are missing the power of God. The power of God is that he can give you CONTENTMENT and JOY no matter what you GO THROUGH, just like Paul and Silas thrown in jail. Then those people that are making your circumstances so bad will see you having peace and contentment of God, no matter how badly they try to destroy you. And then they will understand that God is REAL and that he is with YOU. We keep begging the power of God to change others, first, you must let the power of God change YOU. It is amazing that when I change, my circumstances don't seem so bad, and others begin to change with me as well.
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