Do you ever hear someone talk about peace and then look at their life and think, Well yeah, it’s easy for you to be content! Look at how perfect and easy your life is! Meanwhile, peace in your own life feels crowded out by trial after trial, struggle after struggle. How can you be content when the basement floods, the baby won’t sleep through the night, the teenager won’t obey curfew, the budget’s too tight, loneliness is a constant companion, and you hurt your hip in your sleep? (Is it just me?)
It’s easy to associate peace and contentment with pleasant circumstances. Surely that’s the message our culture preaches. Just buy that new skincare product, organize your closet, put your kid in that program, throw the perfect party, read the self-help book, and earn that promotion. Ta-da! Then you will be content with your life. And yet … I don’t know anyone who has done all the things and didn’t wind up just creating another list of must-haves and must-dos.
Even if we’re not swayed by material things, we do this with spiritual matters. Just help with that ministry and attend that retreat, check off your quiet time box, make your donation, and pray before every meal. Surely those good things will lead to the peace we long for, right?
Looking for contentment by doing good things for Jesus won’t replace the peace found in Jesus.
The apostle Paul writes, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Too often Christians apply this verse to mean “I can do anything I want by the power of God.” While it’s true that God does empower His people to do a multitude of things, in the context of Philippians 4, Paul isn’t talking about things like running a marathon, starting a business, or even serving the poor. He’s talking about how to live from a posture of contentment. How to find inner stability, serenity, and satisfaction that doesn’t hinge on our present situation.
Whether he had a full belly or felt hunger pangs, as a free man or in prison chains, Paul learned that peace isn’t found in the presence of abundance or the absence of hardship.
Peace is the quiet strength provided by Jesus.
Paul was beaten, abandoned, and imprisoned. He battled sickness and loneliness. He begged God to remove a “thorn in the flesh,” which God refused to do: “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).
This is the way Paul learned to be content in every situation. This is the way we can learn to be content in every situation. Paul’s source of peace wasn’t in his own accolades but in the atoning forgiveness of Jesus. His peace wasn’t in his own efforts but in the effective grace of Jesus. Paul no longer identified himself by his pedigree and prestige because his true identity was in Jesus.
“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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:12–13 (NIV)
Paul took on a posture of contentment, which enabled him to experience the life-changing peace of Jesus. Our circumstances don’t have to be extreme for us to need God’s peace.
On a regular Tuesday when you run out of laundry detergent. On a Saturday night when you get a phone call that makes your heart sink. When you’re treated unfairly, when you get overlooked, when your security net falls through, when a door slams in your face — every moment of every day you have a choice to make:
Are you going to look for happiness in what’s happening around you? Or are you going to look for strength and peace from the one who is in you?
Choose well today, friend.
Choose well, indeed! Amen! Wonderful, wise words—thank you!
Such a great devotion to have read. It leads me to share this with you. Just recently I was going through some stressful things. I had had enough of all the stress. For such a long time I felt a spirit of heaviness over me. I was just done with that spirit! So I had gotten up that morning and read the morning devotional. The words “Peace be Still” stood out boldly to me. I read on and what I read had made so much sense to me. The devotional talked about when Jesus was on the boat with the disciples. They thought they were going to drown. The couldn’t believe Jesus was sleeping while this was all going on. They woke him and asked him Lord why are you sleeping ? He got up and spoke to the waters and said ” Peace Be Still”. I took that in like a breath of fresh air! Later that morning I had a co-worker who was having some problems with a family member. This was a ongoing thing. Her family had seemed to be at odds for quite sometime. After she had shared with me what was going on I shared with her what God had showed me earlier that morning. She immediately stopped and said Peace be Still!
My daughter isn’t a Christian. She’s fought me on this her whole life. She called me not much later. She was having a not so good morning. I immediately stepped aside and told her I have something I want to share with you and I need you to listen and take this in. I share the history in the Bible of Jesus and his desciples when they were on the boat. Then I started to pray and choked up, but said Peace be Still. I told her to speak those words. She later thanked me for praying with her.
My friend came to work the next day and share a experience she had after telling her husband what I told her. They gathered their family up and prayed with them and said Peace be Still. They all began saying it. She said their home was filled with such Peace. The power of his words can be so much to us. We just have to have faith in him!
Yes! Such a good reminder and an attitude adjustment I need at times! My joy and contentment doesn’t come from my circumstances or even the people around me but from God alone!
From God alone. Amen! I need the reminder too.
Becky,
Rather than love to happenings for my happiness, I am going to go to Christ for contentment and peace that passes understanding! That’s perfect message with Advent upon us!
Sending you autumn joy,
Lisa Wilt
PS This was so good. I shared it on Twitter.
Dear Becky……………..Another spot-on devotion from you. I really do not have much to be happy about these days. You probably have read my reply about my husband and son, but there is one thing that I have not addressed before and it just gets me so overwhelmed that even with all the prayer that I do everyday, I seem not to be able to get past this struggle. I am 77 years old and due to the “Husband/Son”situation. I had to sell our home of 40 years due to us each to have enough money to live on. I loved that house and I donated thousands of dollars in clothes, jewelry, Christmas decorations etc. Funny, if you don’t think about all you have accumulated in 40 years it comes as a shock when you have to move to a 1 bedroom apartment. My husband lives in one facility and I live in another.The one that I moved into exactly 1 year ago is really deplorable. About 5 months ago all of the managers but one were either fired or left for other jobs. There are more than 100 people that live here, most even older than I am.I tell you this part of my life as the Management Company that runs our place started to change everything that we were used to and not to the better. Everyone was upset, stressed and confused. With my background from my 55 years of work experience and 45 of those years were as a manager in a very large company. People here knew that and thought that I could help them. Becky, honestly I tried everything I had learned in all those years along with praying to God. Now I have come to the recognition that I have failed all of these residents and it makes me cry almost every day. I was always known as the trouble-shooter in my other jobs. Of course I am fighting an extremely huge management company. This just adds to my heartbreak with all my personal problems. I know that not everything in our journeys do not end up the way we like so what do I do now? Do I go to Jesus with this problem too? Mostly all these residents here have some kind of physical problems which makes me feel even more down-hearted. They trust me and I have left them down. I have prayed for peace, love and some happiness but so far, I am trying to wait patiently. There is so much more, but I need to get ready for church. Thank you Becky for this wonderful devotion and I will read it again this afternoon when I have more time to drink in everything you said. I send my love to you and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and Christmas as well, however due to one of the devotions this week I was reminded that these should be called”Holy Days”. It seems like our country focuses on presents more than the birth of Christ. Hope to talk to you soon………..Betsy Basile
Thank you for writing this Becky. ❤️
Thank you Becky for these very helpful words about the “ peace that passeth all understanding” and contentment in a world that shouts
material and cultural happiness. You have blessed my morning.
Absolutely true! As a grandmother looking over my life, the ups and downs, kids, medical issues, divorce, my fears of raising kids alone… But God… Only He got me through. Mostly my faith became stronger through adversity, even though my Peace was felt as I came out the other side. Feeling fearful, God was still there. I love Him more and feel peaceful more than ever in my life before. Learning to be content in all things is definately a learning process. Great reminder in your articles. Keep up your good work!
Encouraging words. Thanks for sharing.
Becky,,
When trials hit I can get down on myself. At that point I stop & look around me. Think about others who are going through much worse trials than myself. Then I find a sense of peace coming over me. I know in the end everything will work out for good. God always makes beauty from ashes. He uses our trials to strengthen & grow our faith.
Blessings 🙂
Such a beautiful and timely reminder,
“Looking for contentment by doing good things for Jesus won’t replace the peace found in Jesus”
I can identify with your
article/devotional and most of the comments. I encouraged to know I am not alone. Too often I expect my life to be more spiritually grounded and yes I want to be more grounded but I must spend more intentional time in His word and in prayer.
My heart is encouraged! Thank you and thank everyone for their comments
Because of His PEACE, I can be “Encouraged and Strong”. Don’t be afraid…for you are very precious to God! Peace – Be Encouraged – Be Strong! Daniel 10:19