Philippians 4:11
Weekly Journal Entry
Date: January 24, 2021
Verse: Philippians 4:11
"The Power of Contentment"
Dear God,
So... this week, I can truly say was a lot different. I won't say that I didn't face the same battles because I did. I will say that I did not handle those same battles in the same ways.
Whoo Hoo! Father, I am literally doing a happy dance over here!
It was definitely a daily and conscious effort to put into practice what Your word in Philippians 4:6-8 teaches, but I literally stuck to it and it made a world of difference.
So, God here is the thing, this week, I'm back with something different. I realized something brand new about myself as I began to put into practice what You've been teaching me.
I want to get to the goal of mastery without walking through the process that is needed to get me to that place.
I'm realizing that it's extremely hard for me to simply breathe in the presence of super hard and super teaching moments. I love growth, but I struggle with the process of it.
I would much rather rush through the process than take the time to be present and thankful for what I am experiencing. I know that everything we go through is for a reason, even if we don't always know that reason. I know that situations we face are truly there to develop, grow, and sometimes to literally teach us to know our worth and the power You have given us in free will and our choice.
Where I struggle is learning to trust myself enough to be right here in this place and not striving ahead for that next place or season. I believe You when You say that the treasure is here, yet for some reason, my mind keeps wanting to race ahead to what I'm assuming will be a much better place.
The truth is, I know that no place is better than right here.
What can I do to learn the true power of contentment in this place?
Signed with Excitement and a Desire to Keep Growing,
Your Daughter Zane
Dear Zane,
I am so happy to hear from you and I am also very happy to learn of your progress. Zane, no one likes the process of growth my Daughter. There is no one shouting, "Yes, for the process! I would rather stay here!"
Most of my children are impatient children who won't understand in difficult times why the lessons they are facing are truly needed. I appreciate your honesty and I see your struggle. Did you know that the struggle is a part of the stretch? I am stretching you in the struggle, past where your mind has limited you and into a place that is limitless. I want you to think beyond where you are and normally my children do not venture outside the boundaries set by their mind, easily. Often times it is only through the struggle of realizing that you cannot stay here in this place, that you begin to realize that there are many places beyond that your mind has limited you from seeing.
Did you know that the Apostle Paul, wrote many of his letters encouraging his followers in prison? Did you know that he wrote to the Philippians in chapter 4 encouraging them, speaking to them about how to handle their worries, and how to retrain their thoughts from prison? You see, Paul had learned that there was true power in contentment. He had learned that even when in chains, in Me, he had gained freedom. So no matter the circumstances during his ministry, He had grown to learn how to be content.
What would your life look like if you too learned the power of being content?
How do you find contentment in the very places that seem to confine you and cause you struggle? How do you find contentment in a place that seems to limit you when you know within you, that I am calling you to a much higher destiny? You place your faith in Me, the One who sees all and knows all. You pray and surrender your worries and you trust Me to lead.
You learn that the grass is often not greener over there (no matter how it looks), it's green right here because in this place, you are taking time to nurture and water who I am creating and cultivating in you to be. You learn to not look around but look within and recognize the lessons that I am teaching. You learn that even in the struggle, being present in this place with Me is better than any future place you've imagined. You realize that here will get you to there if you walk in pace with Me.
Signed with Love, Compassion, and Counsel,
Your Father
Your Weekly Journaling Prompt
The Instruction:
God's Word in Philippians 4:11:
"I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself"
The Key:
1. Learning to be content no matter the circumstances.
Put this into Practice:
1. Journal about your current place in life. If it's a great place in life write about it. If you are struggling with something currently, write about it. Journal about where you are and how you feel about this place. Don't edit, just write.
2. Think about a place that you keep longing to be in life. Maybe it's a goal you hope to reach or a promise that God has spoken to you. Journal about that place that you desire.
3. Think about an answered prayer in this place of your life. How long did you truly appreciate this place before moving forward to something else? How long did you truly relish the answered promises of God? How long did you remain content here?
4. Pray. Surrender your current place to God and the place you have a desire to be in life. Ask Him to help you to trust Him with the promised place, while being fully content in this place.
5. Ponder on what your life would look like if you truly learned the Power of Contentment in this place.
6. Thank God for His answered prayers. Thank God for His answered prayers and what He has already done in your life.
Paul teaches us that contentment is never based on our circumstances, it's based on our trust and faith in a God who promised to never leave us nor forsake us in life.
There is so much Power in Contentment!
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Note: *Zane is a fictitious character that represents every woman in this world that we desire to reach and provide a online space for them to rest and be restored.