19th May 2025

Paul did not have that perfect life, a life that we all dream of, and continue to seek, he had many trials to endure. We all have our difficulties in life. I was reading about an incident on my local alert app. It is meant to make us aware of the events in our area such as accidents, fires, or dangerous situations. It makes me aware of them and able to stay away from trouble, but it also gives me an opportunity to pray for those involved. I never cease to be amazed at how others respond in their texts. They instantly turn the situation around to mean some hurt or injury to themselves or to their freedoms, and they instantly throw the poor victim to the side of the ditch as if it was their fault or they did not matter.

I suppose that if we had that perfect idyllic life, we would soon become bored with it. Life needs a purpose and a goal. It is in Jesus Christ that we find our purpose in life, our identity. We are made by him and for him, but this is not just a mindless and unkind thing, it is one of love and goodness. His purpose is to give us his life, something he shares with us without abandon. He cares for us and will never abandon us on the side of the road as we tend to do at times when all we think about is me, myself and I. We all do it, it is the nature of our being right now, but Christ is slowly drawing us out of its grip as he gives us his example to live by. Christ is the person behind our desire to help others and to focus on the good for all. He is the answer to our contentment and is our ability to see how we all are blessed in him, and this makes us want to share this blessing with others as he so generously shares his blessings with us.

One of the things Paul was thankful for was the care and concern of the Philippian church for himself and others; it showed their connection to Christ, their growth in the Spirit, their love of the Father. As we share in the need of others, God takes care of us in our times of need. We can read this in: Philippians 4:19, ‘And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.’ This is a picture of the kind of God we have, the God we hold dear in our hearts. God does not create and abandon, God holds full responsibility for what he creates; everyone is dear to him, and he provides and cares for it, for us. Can we say the same? Look at how easily we throw away a relationship for example, they are so easily set aside at the first hint of a bump in the road.

Paul knew the secret to contentment, and I now share this with you as well. The answer to all of our problems and needs is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the source of all that we need, the source of contentment.

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