“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
—Romans 12:12
What do you think is the one thing that really brings about joy and passion in our lives? I’ll tell you this: It’s not money. Money can get people going, but it won’t make them live with passion. I’d also say it’s not happiness. It doesn’t matter how happy someone is… happiness alone is a dead end road.
So what is it? Well, I’ve personally seen the one thing that really brings about joy, and it’s very simple: hope. This is especially true for Christians, who thrive on hope spiritually just as much as we do with oxygen physically. That’s because without the hope of heaven and the return of Christ, our faith becomes pointless.
But in Christ, we have a blessed and joyful hope that death isn’t the end. And it’s not a hope that wishes… it’s an eager expectation based upon a sure promise. It’s not just pie in the sky; it’s as sure as it can be!
Frankly, I talk with many people whose hope has run out. They’ve stopped believing in God’s promises and, as a result, have lost the joy that comes with the Christian life. Don’t lose hope. Cling to God’s every promise, and you’ll discover joy that goes beyond any circumstance!
KEEP YOUR EAGER HOPE IN THE PROMISES OF GOD, AND YOU’LL DISCOVER JOY THAT GOES BEYOND ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.”
Luke 3:12–14
In 1893, the Old Farmer’s Almanac published a poem by John Hay entitled “The Enchanted Shirt.” It is based on an ancient Persian story about a king who had a disease that no doctor could identify or cure. Finally, an elderly physician told the king that his problems would be solved if he would simply sleep one night in the shirt of a truly happy man. The king sent his courtiers and soldiers throughout the kingdom. They looked long and hard, but failed to find anyone who seemed to be genuinely happy. Finally, they met an old beggar sitting near the palace gates. Despite his extreme poverty, his happiness was obvious. They offered him a great sum of money to let them take his shirt so that the king could sleep in it. The beggar said, “I would do it, but I haven’t a shirt to my back!”
So many times people think they would be happy if they just had a little more. But real happiness is the product of contentment, not possessions. When we are content with what we have, we do not compare ourselves with others, or covet what they have. Instead, when we are content we rejoice and give thanks for what God has provided, recognizing that He is the source of all the good things we enjoy. Contentment is not produced by a large quantity of possessions but by appreciating what we already have. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).
Today’s Growth Principle:
Contentment and covetousness cannot coexist—you will live with one or the other.
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