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Devotions based on week 11 of Joy in the Journey: Contentment (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 4:11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 

In central Texas, schools have started for the 2025-26 school year.  The year can be met with disappointment that the freedom of summer is over or a sense of optimism for what the new year of learning brings.

Education is designed to be a process of learning.  Kindergarteners don’t start with calculus math.  Fifth graders aren’t expected to know the periodic table and chemical equations.  However a kindergartener who is just learning to count to ten can, if they are open to learning, do complicated math equations by senior year in high school.  They learn math.  They learn chemistry.  Content is taught.  Homework is assigned.  Assignments are completed.  Experiential lab work is offered.

All of these things go into learning a subject.

Contentment is no different.

While one baby may be more “content” than another, it doesn’t take long when a small child desires something they don’t have.  By mid-two’s an all out tantrum can ensue when they don’t get what they want.  So much for contentment!

The reason that contentment has to be learned is because it doesn’t come naturally for our sinful nature.  

Satan loves to get us to focus on the things we don’t have.  Perhaps just take an inventory.

When you scroll through your social media, do you find yourself thinking, “I wish I had that,” or “I wish I could go there.”  By scrolling through posts you see the “highlight” reel of someone else’s life and wish that your life could be the same or better.  Discontent sinks in.

When you watch TV, YouTube, Netflix or your favorite channel, advertisements come up that try to convince you your life would be better if you bought their product.  Some you have no interest in.  But others get you thinking, “Yeah, I could really use that.”  Marketing and advertisements can create discontent when we are convinced our life would be better than it is if we buy or do the right things.

When you wake up in the morning and moan that you have to go to work, head off to school or simply engage the day’s work at home, it could be a symptom of internal discontent.  When we have a hard time seeing the positive and tend to focus on the negative, we may be struggling with discontent.

So we have to learn to be content.  What do I do with all I see, experience, desire so that I move from discontent to contentment?

Learn the secret like Paul did.  Really it’s a secret that lives in plain sight when we view life through God’s lens instead of our lens.  God loves to give our hearts contentment as a gift of his Spirit.  So the rest of this week we will explore the secret God wants us to learn to find contentment.

 

Apply: Today, notice what gives you contentment or what causes discontent.  Make a chart of each on a piece of paper.  What do you notice?

Prayer: Lord, open my heart to learn contentment from you!  AMEN.

Devotions based on week 11 of Joy in the Journey: Contentment (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 4:10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.

Joy comes when someone cares.

Words are easy.  Actions are meaningful.

Paul was in prison in Rome and was always encouraged when he had the support and aid of those around. Paul rejoiced, not in his release, not in better conditions, not even in the hope of freedom, but in the renewed concern and support of the Philippians. They had sent a gift through Epaphroditus, and Paul recognized it not simply as money or resources, but as a tangible expression of their love and partnership in the gospel.

Joy is not found in possessions, but in the relationships God provides within the body of Christ. Paul did not rejoice because his bank account was now secure. He rejoiced because the gift showed that he was not forgotten. Their love and concern were evidence of their ongoing fellowship in Christ.

Notice that Paul says, “Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” He acknowledges that their care was consistent, but their ability to express it had been limited. This distinction is important. Concern for others begins in the heart, and generosity flows out of that concern when God opens the door.

How essential it is to maintain a heart posture of readiness! Opportunities to serve, give, or encourage may not always be available. But when they come, the willingness of our hearts will determine whether we step into them with joy.  

How many times have we thought of calling someone, writing a note, or giving a small gift—only to put it off until the opportunity slipped away? Paul’s joy was not simply that the Philippians remembered him; it was that they acted when the opportunity presented itself.

Every act of kindness, every gift, every expression of concern is a reflection of God’s provision. When someone cares for us, we should not only thank them, but also rejoice in the Lord who moved their heart. When we care for others, we become instruments of God’s love and a reminder of His faithfulness.

Unfortunately, we can be indifferent to the needs of others. We may say we care, but we do not act. We may have good intentions, but we fail to follow through. Our selfishness gets exposed.  

Paul rejoices because the Gospel is at work in and through the Philippians.  They just didn’t express a desire, they acted on the desire.  The love and forgiveness of Christ shone through. In Christ, God has never forgotten us. His concern for us is not just a thought. It is action. He gave His Son to meet our deepest need, the forgiveness of sins. Jesus came, not just with words of love, but with the cross and empty tomb to prove that His concern is real and eternal. Because of His grace, we can overcome selfishness and be empowered to serve others with genuine love.

Application: Who in your life might be waiting for a reminder that they are not forgotten? Perhaps it’s a missionary, a family member walking through hardship, or a friend quietly battling loneliness. A small act of kindness like an email, a meal, or a handwritten note can become a channel of God’s love and a reason for them to rejoice in the Lord.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, thank You that Your concern for me is never just an idea but an active, saving love shown in Christ. Forgive me for the times I have ignored opportunities to care for others. Give me a heart that is always ready, and eyes to see the needs around me. May my concern for others reflect Your own love and bring joy to those I serve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Devotions based on week 10 of Joy in the Journey: Joy (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

“I just can’t explain it.”

“It’s hard to put in words.”

“I feel at peace, even though my circumstances are crazy.”

When Jesus sat with his disciples the night before he went to the cross, he said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

The peace of God is the gift of a right status with God.  The division that sin creates has been done away with by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  When I know the biggest problem my heart could ever tackle is solved at the cross, my soul can be at peace.

Remember this section of Philippians started off with the direction to “Rejoice in the Lord always.”  Paul then reminds us to “Let our gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”  He then encourages us to offload our anxiety to the Lord in prayer.

So what remains when the Lord fills our heart with joy, we know that the LORD is with us and we get to live each day to his glory and that whenever we have anxiety we can offload it to God?

Peace.

You can’t explain it.  You can’t diagram it.  You can’t even fully understand it.

It is a gift from God that God only knows, but gives us to experience.

But it does something even greater than settling our soul.

It is given as a gift to “guard your hearts and your minds.”

It guards our hearts from being disrupted by events around us.  It guards our hearts from experiencing the roller coaster of emotions connected with hardship or tragedy.  It guards our hearts from drifting our loyalty to something that appears to give peace, but really can’t.

It guards our minds into thinking negatively about ourselves or others.  It guards our minds from the lies of Satan that disrupt our peace.  It guards our minds from allowing doubt and uncertainty to creep in.

Peace is the thick wall that the Spirit builds around our hearts and our minds to ensure that the love, grace and goodness of Christ are always deeply engrained in our way of believing and way of thinking.

So how do you get this peace?

It comes from God and is rooted in Christ Jesus.

Peace is the result of growing deeper in our connection to the LORD through his Word.  Peace is the reality when our identity, value, and purpose are wrapped up in the grace of God found in Jesus Christ.  The more time we spend with our Savior, the more opportunity for God’s peace to build itself in our hearts and minds.

When you lack peace?

Don’t focus on just changing your external circumstances.  Give the Spirit of God an opportunity to work inside you. Spend time in the Word.  Spend time in prayer.  Offload the anxiety.  Remember the Lord is near.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Apply: Is your heart at peace this morning?  What is attacking it?  Spend time with the Lord in his Word and prayer…and experience God bring you his peace.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the peace you give, which I don’t understand, but I experience in a very real way! AMEN.

Devotions based on week 10 of Joy in the Journey: Joy (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

Offload anxiety with the Lord’s Prayer

What a gift the Lord Jesus gave us in the prayer he taught in Matthew 6!

Perhaps it has become so rote and routine that your mind skips engaging when you say it, or you don’t remember exactly what the words mean.  

Here’s a fresh use for these petitions.  Use them to offload anxiety! 

The Spirit of God says to present our requests to God using “prayer and petition.”  So why not use the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer to do just that!

(Glance back at yesterday’s devotion for the offloading that can happen just with the opening address, “Our Father in heaven”!)

What anxiety can we offload with the petition, “Hallowed be your name”?

We get to represent the name of the Lord in our lives.  If we have anxiety about our identity or our purpose or who we represent, we are bearers of the name of the LORD!  In our baptism, he put his name on us and we carry that name.  We have the promises and power of his Word that represent all of his name to guide, direct and encourage us.

How about “Your kingdom come?”

Do you worry about politics? Concerns about who is in power or not in power? Upcoming elections or possible future leaders of our country? This petition offloads any anxiety about these things to a trust that God’s kingdom is bigger and more important than any political election or leader.  The power of the Gospel to change and guide hearts is far more impactful than any legislation or law politics can come up with.  Remember the One who rules the kingdom of God is the one who allows political authorities to have their place!

Are you feeling less anxious yet?

Let’s keep going, “Your will be done.”

Anxious about our faith or the faith of someone else?  Worried that you haven’t done enough of that your faith isn’t strong enough?  God’s will is that through the Word we stay close to him.  His will is that we find our hope and security in the objective work of Christ and the saving reality of the Gospel.  When God’s will is done in our lives, we find our meaning, purpose and direction to reflect his grace in every aspect of life.

This next one is a good one. “Give us today our daily bread.”

One of the top causes of anxiety is finances.  We can worry when our bills out pace our month.  We can worry if we have accumulated much that we might lose it.  This petition invites our trust that God will provide each day what is needed, just like he did for his people Israel for 40 years.  Any worries about our daily existence get offloaded with this one petition!

Relationships can cause a lot of anxiety.  Here’s where the fifth petition helps.  “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”

What a wonderful gift this petition is to offload any guilt we have because of our sin to seek God’s forgiveness…and be assured of it.  What a great petition to help us forgive those relationships that have wronged us, maybe even very severely.  The anxiety of interaction can be replaced with the heart of forgiveness.

Anxiety about pet sin, addictions, or a situation that tempts you to sin? Pray the sixth petition, “Lead us not into temptation.” God loves to provide the strength to say “No” to sin!

The news can bring a lot of anxiety.  Wars, natural disaster, crime, and more.  We fear the worst that might happen to us in the phobias we can carry.  Jesus invites us to offload this anxiety with the simple petition, “Deliver us from evil.”

Worried about anything else?  Just offload it all with the words, ‘For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.”  Remember God is Lord over all and more than willing to have us present our requests to him to offload our anxiety!

Amen?  AMEN!

 

Apply: What anxiety are you carrying this morning?  What petition helps you most to offload that anxiety?

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.

Devotions based on week 10 of Joy in the Journey: Joy (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

 

Do you ever have anxiety?

If you answer, “No,” I would question if you are alive!

Everyone has anxiety at some point.  Anxiety is a natural human emotion characterized by feelings of worry, fear, or unease. It actually a normal response to stress or perceived danger.  It can have a positive effect by keeping us from danger or doing something dangerous.

However, most anxiety is worry and stress about things we can not control or have a very small chance of actually happening to the degree we are worried they will.

A study by Dr. Don Joseph Goeway, author of “The End of Stress,” indicated that 85% of things we worry about never happen.  Of the 15% that did happen, individuals said they handled the situation better than expected or learned something from it.  This means that only 3% of what we worry about actually ends up as a bad as we fear.

So, practically we might rewrite this passage and say, “Don’t be anxious about 97% of things, as they won’t be as bad as you think.”

When we insert the solution to anxiety into the mix, Paul directs us by the Spirit to not be anxious about 100% of the things we might worry about.  (Jesus actually indicates the same in Matthew 6!)  The solution, or at least the substitute activity to anxiety?  Prayer and petition!

God invites us to offload our anxiety on him!

God doesn’t want us to carry things emotionally and spiritually that we were never designed or intended to carry.  

God invites us to trust him for the many things out of our control we have anxiety about.

But he goes a step further.

Just before Jesus teaches about worry and anxiety in Matthew 6:25-34, he teaches about prayer in Matthew 6:5-15.

Is there a connection?

For sure. 

The Lord gives us the gift of prayer so we can offload our anxiety.  What caught my attention in Matthew 6 and Jesus’ teaching on prayer is that in that section he lays out for us the Lord’s Prayer.

Could we have missed this gift for so many years?  Is it possible that part of the blessing of the Lord’s Prayer are short petitions that we can use to offload our anxiety and present our requests to God?

Yes. Yes, it is.

Let’s consider just the opening phrase, “Our Father in heaven…”

What anxiety does simply having the privilege and the gift to address God in heaven as “our Father”…”my Father”?

Do you have anxiety about your earthly family?  Do you struggle with identity and purpose?  Do you worry that you are not loved or accepted by the people around you?

With one short phrase, “Our Father in heaven” our Father tenderly invites us to know we are his dear child, he loves us unconditionally, he champions our identity and purpose because he gave it to us.  He assures us we always have one who is with us, even when we feel lonely and alone.

Don’t you love when God invites us to do something he gives us the guidance of how to do it?

Look forward to tomorrow’s devotion where we will offload most if not all of our anxieties with the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer!

 

Apply: Do your own thoughts today.  Write out the Lord’s Prayer with space between the petitions.  Ask yourself, “What anxiety does this petition offload and present to God?’  Write it down in the space between petitions.

Prayer: Lord, by your invitation we offload all our anxiety to you for we know you care for us!  AMEN.