strength

The Big Secret to Being Content

November 25, 2020 by Ellen 1 Comment

We’ve been studying contentment this Thanksgiving month. The apostle Paul has given some wonderful advice on being content in Philippians 4. But…

What happens…

When the music ends…
When the habit is forgotten…
When the pressures of the season overwhelm me…
When the sandpaper people scratch me…
When I’m not sitting still at His feet…
When I don’t think I will ever get this Christian living right…
When I can’t make myself content even with all these lessons?

That, my friends, is when we need to remember Paul’s secret to being content: I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). Above all else, remember this.

All things: We are ready to face anything.

Through Christ: as believers, we have Christ in us (Galatians 2:20) and resurrection power available to us (Ephesians 1:19-20). That resurrection power enables us to say no to sin and discontent, and yes to God!

Who strengthens me: We are self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency (Philippians 4:13 AMP). Our strength comes not from our own trying or striving, but from Christ alone. We wholly depend on Him for all our spiritual power.

The more time we spend in God’s word, the more we know Him. The more we know Him, the more we want to be like Him.

I watched my granddaughter demonstrate this so innocently one night. She was about six at the time. That night, there happened to be an “older” boy visiting. He was eight. Brooke had her young eye on him. She watched him drink milk, and suddenly she wanted some. He sat on the swing, and before we could blink, she was next to him. She kinda liked him, and wanted to do what he did.

Same premise here. We want to be more like Christ. We want to dig deep into His power, and be content in all situations. We want the peace that surpasses all understanding. So we’re gonna follow Him around (in scripture) and get to know Him.

And when we do, our contentment becomes more than just singing praises when we’re down. It becomes more than just a habit to be practiced on auto-pilot. It becomes a new way of life for us!

Grace be with you,

Getting Sappy the Jesus Way

July 18, 2019 by Ellen 12 Comments

Can I tell you a secret? I’m turning sixty-one soon. SIXTY-ONE! Where did the time go? Don’t ever let anyone tell you that time slows down in retirement. It doesn’t. Ot at least it hasn’t yet, for me.

This birthday has me struggling just a wee bit. You know, I’m on the downhill side of life. I figure I have twenty-five, maybe thirty good years left. And I wonder: Do I have what it takes?

Do I have what it takes to fulfill God’s purpose for my life? Do I have what it takes to continue the hard work of writing and teaching? I gotta tell you I sometimes just get tired, and wonder if anything I do is making a difference in God’s kingdom.

Then I came across Psalm 92, in The Amplified version. It seems like it was God’s birthday gift to me, right when I needed it!

The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:12-15 AMP

As His righteous children, we will:

1. Flourish and grow: we’ll be useful, fruitful, durable (Whew! At this age I need a little durability, amen?)

2. Bear fruit in our old age: God will use us, always!! We will be fruitful for Him

3. Be full of sap and spiritual vitality: Amen and amen! I need a little vitality about now, how about you?

4. Be rich in verdure: this means the fresh green color of growing vegetation and a condition of health and vigor. We’ll continue growing in trust and love, and find our contentment in Jesus.

Did you catch number three? What on earth is “full of sap?”

Well, the sap of a tree is much like blood in our human bodies. It’s a vital part of the tree’s life. It’s the lifeblood of the tree. Our “Jesus sap” gives us strength and vitality.

Y’all, I want that! I want to be full of spiritual vitality for Jesus, don’t you? I want to be the kind of Jesus sappy that is sweet and sticky and gets on everything I touch. Yes, I want to be sappy!

[tweetthis]Being sappy for Jesus is sweet and sticky and gets on everything you touch![/tweetthis]

Jesus will grow us and make us useful for His purposes. His life-giving sap will flow through us! We’ll be His living memorial, telling everyone that He is faithful to His promises. Even in our latter years. Amen?

Come on, let’s get sappy!

Grace be with you,