Several years ago a friend of mine was fighting cancer, and getting her butt kicked. One day as we were talking and she was sharing the details of a particularly tough round of treatments, setbacks and the reality that things were getting worse instead of better, she made a little, obvious to her but profound to me, comment.
“I’d rather be facing this with Jesus than without him.”
We talk a lot about contentment. Perhaps the fact that most of us will never experience true contentment (how can we, given the culture we live in) is what causes us to talk about it so much. Part of human nature is to desire those things that are just beyond our grasp, and contentment seems to fit the category for most of us.
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
Great verse, that one. But it’s usually used out of context. It’s not a “pump me up so I can hit a home run for Jesus” reminder from Paul (sorry college athletes everywhere). It’s actually what I believe to be the strongest contentment verse in scriptures as indicated by the two, not nearly as fun to write on our cleats, verses preceding it.
“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”
Contentment. The world we live in mixed with our own desires makes it hard to attain. But maybe this is where it starts. Perhaps this is where it ends.
“I’d rather be facing this with Jesus than without him.”
– Rather almost nothing with Jesus than without him.
– Rather everything with Jesus than without him.
– Rather a full stomach with Jesus than without him.
– Rather an empty stomach with Jesus than without him.
– Rather plenty with Jesus than without him.
– Rather little with Jesus than without him.
Maybe contentment begins….maybe it ends….with a “rather with Jesus than without” approach to the journey.
– Kurt J.