Philippians 4:11  (NIV)

¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Contentment is a learned behavior.  We do not just pop out of the womb and know how to be content.  We spend the very early part of our existence learning how to get others to provide our contentment.  We cry.  We scream. We make it known however we can to our caretakers that we need comfort of some sort.  There are days where I feel as though I am acting that way.  I have cried. I have screamed.  I have made it known to God my situation.  But here I am still in a gutted out home and it’s been more than a year with no end date in sight.

Yesterday was just one of those days where I could not stand to hear one more thing about the house not coming together like it should.  I was frustrated.  I was close to tears.  I just wanted to give up.  I was to the point where I was just done.  BUT God sent me a couple of sermons to listen to, some friends to help me see the situation more clearly and He assured me everything would be okay.  One of the sermons I listened to was by T.D. Jakes and he said something so simple,”Either we are going to believe God or we are not.”

Here I am confessing with my mouth how good God is in my recent videos, yet I was swimming in doubt and unbelief yesterday.  Paul says we need to learn how to be content in all circumstances and tonight I learned that ALL means ALL.  Hmmmmmmmm….it does not take a rocket scientist to see what God is up to these past two days.  Pray.  Wait. Trust.  Repeat.  Below is the definition of contentment:

a state of happiness and satisfaction

Happiness means the state of being happy and satisfaction means fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this. So what does this say about my current circumstance?

“Brenda is in a state of being happy and being fulfilled during the drastic rebuild of her home which is her current circumstance.”

If God’s Word is true then Paul’s statement is true.  However, he does say he “learned” how to be content, which means he must have gone through some trial and error before he entered into a season of contentment.  While we are looking definitions, let’s take a peek at the word “learned”:

I am in a place right now where God is teaching me to wait.  A no today is a better yes

tomorrow.  He already has this figured out, no need to panic or worry.  He is trying to get

me to a place of perfect peace; a peace that passes ALL understanding.  I must prove to

be the steady learner of this season.  I must seek His Presence.  I need to have an attitude

of  gratitude through this whole process.  But like every learning process there will be

errors and pop quizzes and old habits to get rid of.  I know I already have the victory

through Jesus and I this is what needs to be spoken into existence.

To anyone who has been following the story of this house, God is going to do a miracle

and all glory will go to Him.  I know there are still some hurdles ahead of

me and I may not get an A on every test, BUT God is walking with me through this storm.

He has promised to never leave me or forsake me and I need to hold onto that when the

road ahead looks dark and hope has seemed to have disappeared.