sometimes its hard to be content.
sometimes its hard to remember that He has me here for a reason.
sometimes its hard to trust in His plan.
a few weeks ago, i was reading in Philippians 4.
"...for i have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. i know what it is to be in need, and i know what is it 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 everything through Him who gives me strength."
all i can say after reading this is wow. i am inspired. challenged.
i was talking the other day with my friend and i shared a few of my thoughts about how hard it is to be content in the season of life that i am in now. she reminded me that its easy to think "oh, i would just be content if ______ [you fill in the blank]" she said we only learn this "secret" if we are content WHATEVER the circumstances just like Paul said. in plenty or in want. either well fed or hungry. whatever the circumstance.
this my friends, is the secret.
we are called to have complete trust in God and in His plan and to believe that whatever you are going through is in His plan. He has you where you are for a reason. for a specific reason.
but it is a hard lesson to learn. its so hard to "bloom where you are planted."
this sunflower is my inspiration.
this sunflower is my inspiration.
its kinda hard to see if from the picture but this flower is literally growing out of the tree trunk! wow. i don't quite know how but it is. it is literally "blooming where it was planted."
it was probably hard for this flower to grow like this. it was probably dry and had to work really hard to push through the bark to get to the sunshine but it kept growing. it probably compared itself to the trees around it and wasn't content that God made it to be a flower and not a tree but, it kept growing.
paul then goes on and says that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. i love this verse and i know it is used a lot in Christian circles. but when we put this verse into it's context [something you learn when you go to a christian college, haha], i think we use it the wrong way. yes, i know God strengthens us to do His will but here, in this context, i think paul is saying that living this life of total contentment and trust in God is hard, but when Christ strengthens us, we can do anything.
we can "bloom where we are planted" even if it's dry and a lot of hard work. even if you are the only "sunflower" in a forest. even if life is hard. even if life is easy. in plenty and in want.
in all circumstances, be content. trust.
have you learned the secret?
it was probably hard for this flower to grow like this. it was probably dry and had to work really hard to push through the bark to get to the sunshine but it kept growing. it probably compared itself to the trees around it and wasn't content that God made it to be a flower and not a tree but, it kept growing.
paul then goes on and says that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. i love this verse and i know it is used a lot in Christian circles. but when we put this verse into it's context [something you learn when you go to a christian college, haha], i think we use it the wrong way. yes, i know God strengthens us to do His will but here, in this context, i think paul is saying that living this life of total contentment and trust in God is hard, but when Christ strengthens us, we can do anything.
we can "bloom where we are planted" even if it's dry and a lot of hard work. even if you are the only "sunflower" in a forest. even if life is hard. even if life is easy. in plenty and in want.
in all circumstances, be content. trust.
have you learned the secret?
