In or Out Week 1 Monday

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13

I must confess, I like being in control. Don’t you? Many of us fight throughout our entire lives to have control. We save to plan for the future, or if we have an emergency, we eat healthy and exercise to control our health both now and in the future. We even have been known to stock up and hoard toilet paper when we heard that there was a shortage. These are just a few things we do to hold on to control over our lives and our family’s lives. To be clear, these things are not necessarily bad, but they can give us a false sense of security and control. The truth is, God is in control of our circumstances, and we are not. However, we can always control something, and that is our attitudes through anything we face.

The apostle Paul understood that although he could not control his circumstances, he was in charge of his attitude. He could decide how to respond to everything he faced. The good, bad, and everything in between. He wrote about it in Philippians 4. In this chapter, Paul thanked readers for being concerned about him. You see, he wrote this book while he was in prison for sharing the gospel. As he wrote to readers, he said, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have” (verse 11). He continued, saying, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (verses 12-13). Paul had an attitude of contentment through every situation. What was his secret? His secret was Christ in Him.

 The secret of contentment for Paul is the same secret for us: we can do everything through Christ who gives us strength. We can face even the most difficult circumstances because of Christ. If we lean on Him, we can have peace, joy, hope, and more during whatever we face. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can choose how we will respond.

Moving Toward Action

What difficult circumstances are you currently facing? Maybe you are facing financial difficulty or a relationship struggle. Maybe you are facing a battle with your health. Whatever it is, take some time to evaluate your attitude. How has your attitude been as you have faced your difficulty? Is there room for improvement? This does not take away from the disappointment or even devastation you face, but it offers you an opportunity to respond well, even through the most difficult trial.

Going Deeper

Philippians 4:10-20 (NLT)