Don’t Be Frustrated, Be Content In Christ

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.’ (Colossians 3:15)

Paul wrote Colossians 3 to provide the Faithful a set of indicators on how they should be if they truly had Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Paul was great in pointing out in all of his Epistles two things; instructions a Christian should follow to be a member of great standing in Christ, and indicators a Christian could look at, in themselves and toward others, to affirm their own (or others’) level of Faithful Obedience to Jesus.  We are all different, and are perhaps great in one area but lacking in another, but we can all recognize within ourselves or toward others our commitment to Jesus and His Gospel. 

The focus Paul says Christians should have are the indicators of Spiritual contentment.  There is frustration when our status quo is upset.  A car breaks down at an inopportune moment, or we get a health scare, or our daily schedule is turned upside down by an unplanned or unfamiliar event.  We live in an imperfect world, and we need to expect imperfect things to fail.  We will make mistakes; some mistakes will affect us and some mistakes affect others (while we’re unscathed).  Paul provides us an indicator in Colossians 3:15 on how our walk in Christ (and with Christ) is doing when these things happen.  When we are faced with uncertainty, or something negative or unplanned , are you greatly upset or even perturbed by it, or do you get flustered and shut down?  For myself, BC (Before Christ) these sometimes would be major catastrophes, with much gnashing of teeth.

Paul himself was an example of Spiritual contentment. Confined in a Roman cell, Paul could not have been happy; the cell was likely damp, dank, and dark. He probably did not eat every day as the prisoners in Roman prisons often relied on friends and family members to bring food, and they sometimes were not allowed to visit every day. There was the hope of release but also a realization he could be executed, which he was in due time. Yet, we find in Paul’s letters that he knew Jesus had him right where he needed to be. Thus, Paul – while not happy from a personal standpoint – was joyous and content in his Faith that he was where God wanted Him to be.

Now, for the most part, I am at peace with the unexpected, and thankful that those things that failed to have been blessed by them.  For those incidents that pop up, I’m thankful for the Lord to provide me experience for the future, and in those rare occasions I have to call for help, the opportunity to witness to the repairman.  Be thankful and be content with what you have and what you can do, not discontent with inability or wants.

I am thankful for the beautiful day today, the peace we have, the health we have.  Tomorrow they may all be gone, but today the Lord has provided them.  Always be thankful for what you have, what you had, and what the Lord will provide tomorrow!