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November 23, 2016 – Thanksgiving Eve Text: Philippians 4:10-13
Dear Friends in Christ,
A few years ago there was a woman from a Communist country who visited New York City. She wasn’t all that impressed. Her country had a subway system, a large airport, and good roads. Then she was taken into one of our country’s large grocery stores, she looked around and cried.
This woman had never seen so much food and it was overwhelming. Did you find everything you needed when shopping for your Thanksgiving meal? A month ago I needed a can of pumpkin and the store was out. They didn’t even have any on the end cap. What’s going on? Isn’t it interesting what our perspective is in this land of plenty?
Another Thanksgiving is upon us. What joy waits? Or is it apprehension? Will the family get along and can I keep the lumps out of the gravy? The phone rings..is it an accident; or are they just late? I wonder if someone here today won’t be here next Thanksgiving? I would be truly happy if only…Are we so dependent on circumstances that we cannot be content for longer than a short while?
In our text Paul is writing a thank-you letter to the church in Philippi. He was in prison when he wrote, “I have learned in whatever situation to be content.” To do that we must be prepared to accept both good and bad, often in quick succession. How we do that?
“CONTENT THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME”
A woman came to her Pastor with a problem not commonly expressed. Her husband and her had bought a small business and things were booming. She expressed to her Pastor that she didn’t think they deserved it or had earned it.
He thought for a moment and counseled her, “If business is up, thank God. You could sing ‘Now Thank We All Our God.’ And when business is down, you could sing the Kyrie, ‘Lord, have mercy on us.’ God walks with you in both situations.”
Sometimes we feel we will be content if we can just escape all our activities and responsibilities. “Stop the world; I want to get off.” Life is too confusing and confounding. Perhaps you are exhausted and just want to sit on the sidelines. But doing so reduces the possibility of sharing God-given gifts and talents with others who need them, and finding the joy that comes from helping others. There is no real contentment in passivity, is there?
Where did the Apostle Paul find contentment? In the fact that he was forgiven, justified by God because of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to forgive all his sins. For this reason, Paul had peace with God, a peace that did not depend in the least upon his circumstances in life.
If we find it hard to be content, it may mean that we have become disconnected from God, that we are not at peace with Him. This peace is not a mood or something we talk ourselves into. It is the forgiveness and reconciliation with God that Christ has provided at great cost. This peace guards and protects us. We all need a guardian of peace to accompany us through the twists and turns of life.
This contentment, this inner peace, led Paul to say, “I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me.” Certain of Christ’s gracious presence, His strength enables us to resist temptation, to overcome anger, to forgive, to reach out, to make peace, to outlast evil, to be renewed, to survive, and to love.
There once was a farmer who had grown tired of living on the same farm his whole life. So he listed the farm with a realtor who wrote up an ad. Before he turned it in for printing he showed it to the farmer. It was a glowing description of the farm. It spoke of its excellent location, its fine equipment, fertile acres and well-bred stock.
“Wait a minute,” said the farmer, reading the ad. “Just wait a minute! “I’ve changed my mind, I’m not gonna sell. All my life I’ve been looking for a place like that!”
That is Christ Jesus for the Christian. We often miss what is right in front of us, like all the groceries in a supermarket. Our Lord Jesus is in every situation. When we understand this then our soul finds rest, we have peace and contentment, and He grants us strength to deal with anything life may bring. Peace be with you this Thanksgiving and may your gravy not be lumpy!
Amen.