Tag Archives: thankfulness

The Secret of Contentment

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“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” Philippians 4:11b (NIV)

Have you ever noticed how overextending yourself tends to bring unwanted pressure into your life? I think we tend to busy ourselves in order to gain more, find acceptance among peers, land a better position, and gain riches of all kinds. Perhaps we live under the illusion that having such riches is what makes a person complete, content, and deliriously happy. Yet, when we discover that’s not the case, we’re left feeling empty and discontent.

Recently God’s been showing me that when I constantly want more than He has given me, it reflects a heart that is discontent. What I’m saying to God is, “I’m not satisfied with what You have provided for me. I want more.” In wanting more, I place undo pressure on myself in an attempt to get what God hasn’t provided. Naturally, anxiety is the result when I focus on things other than God and His will for my life.

The pressure to have more and do more can lead us down paths we never intended. In our attempt to fill the vacuum of our empty souls, we discover that external luxury is only a cheap substitution for spiritual wholeness. As our key verse points out, Paul knew the secret of finding contentment. “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Take note that Paul wrote these words in a high stress situation as he sat in jail awaiting a verdict for a crime he didn’t commit. I don’t know if I could find contentment if I were in his sandals. I would probably strum my wooden cage with a rock singing pitifully, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen. Nobody knows my sorrow.” Finding contentment doesn’t mean we have to like our current situation, but it may require an appreciation for it. Let me explain. Continue reading →

Empty Tomb, Whole Hearts.

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“Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.“

Isaiah 48:17-18

Easter is my favorite day. Life is fresh, nature is blossoming, and it seems as if beauty is awakening from a long slumber! More importantly, Easter is a day that declares the glory of our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ. I’ve realized recently, though, that we often celebrate half-heartedly. We easily go through the motions, but how often do we really take time to sit and attempt to grasp the sacrifice Jesus made for us? The title to this post is “Empty Tomb, Whole Hearts,” because the beautiful fact is, His grave is empty. Completely vacant. And our hearts are full of His spirit and love and grace.

Imagine a vase with a crack down the side of it. The colors are dull, and anything you put into it just falls right out of it. What an incredible picture of our hearts before Jesus entered in. Broken. Unmended. Full of Nothing.
Now, picture the redeeming love of Jesus mending your heart. “But, now, O Lord, God our Father, we are the clay, and You our Potter, and all of us are the works of Your hands.” (Isaiah 64:8) He fully mends the cracks to the point where there’s no spot that can spring a leak. He covers the top with His truth. With His perfect hands that created the Universe, He paints the most beautiful picture on the vase. A picture we could have never dreamt of and can’t even describe. And then He fills us until we overflow with His love and joy and peace…
I went inside the empty tomb in Jerusalem. It’s empty for sure. As I stood inside and gazed upon the place where Jesus’ body once lay, I felt like my heart would burst with excitement because I saw firsthand that
He is Risen! AND He lives in us!
Live today with the knowledge that your heart truly is made whole by the blood of Jesus Christ. Don’t allow discouragement, distrust, delays, or doubt cloud your vision. Be steadfast in the Lord. Praise His holy name. Because He is risen, the tomb is empty, and He lives in You.
Whole-Heartedly,
Gretchen
Psalm 84:11-12
“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God…How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! …For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”