Today, because of the situation in the world, with the Covid 19 pandemic, and other troubles in this world, many people are not content, with their lives, with their jobs, with their amount of money, with their friendships, and with other things in general. There are many Christians, who for one reason or another, can not feel content, whatever the circumstances in their live. I have myself, felt the same way of not being content, with many different circumstances, in my life.
But if we look at Apostle Paul, especially what he says in Philippians 4:11-13, we can see, that Paul has learned something, about the circumstances in his life. Now, we remember what type of life, Apostle Paul had, after he became a Christians. That man, in comparison with many of us Christians, has been through all sorts of troubles, and lack in his life, with some beatings, lack of sleep and food, not having enough clothes, persecuted many times, nearly killed a few times, and yet, when we read what he says in Philippians 4:11-13, we see that despite of all that, he has learned a lesson. And that lesson, is absolutely and completely according to the will of God, for Apostle Paul, and for us Christians, because, obviously, he wrote about that, in the Epistle to the Philippians. The lesson Apostle Paul had learned, was that he knew how to be content, in whatever the circumstances. Paul did not grumble, about his life, or about his lack of food and clothing, or about the lack of other things he needed. Instead, he had learned to be content, despite the circumstances. Now, that is living by faith, and not by sight. If Apostle Paul was living by circumstances in his life, no way he was going to be content, as he said, that he was. No way! With all those horrible things happening in his life as a Christians, he would have a mental breakdown, and physical burnout. But no, he has learned to be content. If Paul was content not matter what happened in his life, that alone would save him, from all sorts of worries and anxiety, about lack of food, clothes and other things. He would be going to bed peacefully, and waking up peacefully, with not worries where or how he could get, food, clothes or other things he needed. Paul said that he can do all things, by him who was giving him strength. In other worlds, the reason why Paul was content always, is because he trusted that in any situation, in any needs he had, God will take care of him, and provide him not only the strength he needed, but everything else. God was providing Paul strength, in order to enable him, to pass through the lack of food, lack of clothes, lack of sleep, by the grace of God, so that he could by God's grace and strength, endure all that lack of things, and hardships, until God provided for him, all that he needed in his life. If we trust and believe God just as Apostle Paul did, God will provide us also, with the strength we need, to go through the lack of money, jobs, food, clothes, and other things, so that we can learn to be content, in whatever circumstances we finds ourselves in, until we receive the full provision from God, for all those things we need.
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Matthew 7:7, 8
You know, we are told by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to knock on the door, so that it can be opened to us. Some Christians, will not even knock on the door, so, how is that door, going to be opened to them? Knocking on the door, is our part, and is the first part we need to do, in order for God, to open the door, after we have knocked on it, and that is God's part. Although God can open any door to us, he will not open a door in our life, unless we knock on it. God wants to make us participants in opening of a door in our life, together with him, and he does not want us, to just stay there, and watch until he opens the door for us, so we just enter through it. There are three types of actions, any Christian can take, in regard to doors being opened or shut in their lives. The first type are the Christians, who for one reason or another, do not knock on the door which God puts sometimes, in front of them. They just do not. Maybe perhaps because they think that the door is not supposed to be in their life, at that particular time, but they forget, that God's timing for things in our life, is often quite different, than our timing. Or perhaps there are other reasons. But the fact is, they are reluctant to knock, on that door. The second type of Christians, are those, who knock a couple of times on that door, but give up soon, and because the door remains shut, they give up altogether, and do not continue to knock on that door. They forget, that the very purpose God places doors in our lives, is in order for them to be opened. But nevertheless, they give up after a couple of knocks, and go away from that door. The problem with the first and the second types of Christians, who never see the door opened, is that they could miss all the treasures God has prepared for them, on the other side of the door. But the third type of Christians, in regard to the doors placed in our lives, are those, who not matter how big the door seems to be, or how many times they have to knock on it, do not just go away, after a couple of knocks. They are the types who will actually sometimes brake the door and get through it, just to fulfil the purpose of the door, and that is, to be opened. And they are the ones who get all the treasures prepared by God for them, and placed, behind that door. In the Greek original language, of the New Testament, the word is 'keep knocking', which denotes a continual action, and not just one time action. So, let us break some of the doors, which God has placed in our lives, so that we do not miss, all those treasures, placed by God, behind that door for us. God does not mind us braking some of the doors in our lives, because the only reason he placed them in our lives, is that we can go through them, and get what he has left for us, behind them. When we look at James 5:16, we see that we are commanded by God, to confess our sins, to one another.
Now, there are some Christians, who claim, that it means we should confess any of our sins, to other Christians. But does it mean, we must confess every sin we have committed, to other Christians? What I believe that it means, is that we must confess our sins to one another, when we sin, against each other, and that is confined, only about us sinning or doing something wrong, to another Christian, or another Christian, doing something wrong, against us. That is what it means. Why? Because, fist of all, we are accountable for all our sins, to God alone, not to other Christians. God is our Judge, and God is the one who will forgive all our sins, if we repent. We do not nee, and are not commanded or called in the Bible, to confess all our sins to another Christian. Why should we? At the end of the day, many or our sins are nothing to do with them, but are to do with other people or things in our life, for which they do not have any idea at all, most of the time anyway. Why should we confess all or any of our sins to another Christian? We are not accountable to them for our sins, fist of all, but to God. Jesus said in the Gospels, that if our brother sins against us, then we can go and show him his fault, and if he repents, we must forgive him. Do you see that? Jesus was talking about another Christian sinning against us, doing something wrong to us. That is the type of sins we are supposed to confess to one another, and not all and every sin! All other sins, which we have done, and which have nothing to do with the brother who has sinned against us, are to be confessed to God, in order of us, to receive forgiveness. So, we do not need to confess all our sins, to another person, but only if we have done something wrong to that person, that is the sin we need to confess, and ask them for their forgiveness. In this world, the so called successful people, are the ones, who have got high education, or a lot of money. According to the world system, if you can not make a lot of money, or can not be highly educated, you are a failure, and have not succeeded. You could be also considered not very bright or intelligent either. In the way this world thinks, you have to work a lot, and to earn or deserve all your riches, if you become a rich person, a millionaire or billionaire.
But for us Christians it is a different story. God has a different way to describe as successful, all his children. According to God, in the Kingdom of God, the successful people, are not necessarily the rich ones, or the highly educated ones. John the Baptist, is called the greatest by Jesus, among those born by women. Yet John the Baptist, was not highly educated or rich. If you are a born again Christian, you may be thinking that for you to have an abundance in your life, all you have to do, is to work hard, and in that way make your riches. It is true, that the Bible says that the diligent people, who work hard, will find wealth, but the Bible also reveals to us, something else about us Christians, the children of God, having an abundance of material blessings in our life. When we read Proverbs 10:22, we can clearly see, that the blessing of the Lord, brings wealth, even if the people have not worked for it. Do you see that? That is the grace of God, working in your life displayed. If you are not working for your money, how can God give you money? Did not God say, that we should work, as written in his Word? Of course he said it! But God wants us to know, that us working for our money and needs, is not everything there is. Yes God has commanded us to work, and earn our living, but he can also give money or riches, to anyone he wishes, at any time, just as he gave riches to king Solomon, without Solomon working for all that gold and silver, which was given him from God, after he had the dream. Or consider the case when Jesus told Peter and the other disciples, after his resurrection, to into the sea again, and catch fish, after the disciples were trying to catch fish the whole night, and did not catch anything. After they did what Jesus told them to do, they have an abundance of fish. Now, was that abundance of fish, caught by the disciples, the result of their work, or was it, because of the grace of God, the fact that Jesus miraculously provided all that fish in abundance for them? Of course, that was the grace of God manifested, right in front of their eyes, just as it says in Proverbs 10:22, that the blessing of the Lord, gives wealth. When God decides to bless someone, and give them wealth and riches, not man can stop it, and that will be entirely based on the grace of God for that person, and nothing to do, with what they have worked for, what education they have, or what business or profession they have. All that is to do with the grace of God in their lives. |
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