“God gives us everything for our enjoyment. When we put our hopes in these things, versus in God, we always end up empty. In a nutshell, whether you have three walnuts or no walnuts, you’re good.”- Randy Frazee
“Abraham Lincoln was walking down the street with his two sons, who were crying and fighting. ‘What’s the matter with the boys?’ a friend asked. ‘The same thing that’s wrong with the whole world,’ Lincoln replied ‘I have three walnuts and each of the boys wants two.’ “- Warren Wiersbe, Be Joyful
“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.”- Philippians 4:12 (NIV)
In Principle #18: Rehearse Your Blessings Daily of The Joy Challenge, Randy Frazee notes that Paul asks us to think a certain way (verse 8). Thus, we need to do more than just comprehend a category of thought. Instead, we also must habitually dwell on it. To bathe our minds in our blessings.
Moving on to Principle #19: Accept That More Money and Stuff Isn’t the Answer, Randy notes that Paul’s secret to joy runs opposite to ours. Because we often desire more money and more stuff. So, to get off the merry-go-round of mood swings, we must learn the virtue of contentment in want or in plenty.
Most significantly, Randy stresses our need to learn contentment when we possess more than enough. In fact, in Philippians 4:12 the apostle Paul uses the phrase well fed to describe this life. The phrase referred to animals the farmers force fed in order to fatten them up for slaughter. Hence, when it’s all said and done, prosperity harms Christians more than adversity.
In conclusion, Randy counsels:
“When we know how to yield to the will of God, it activates the power of God within us to overcome the highs and lows that work to drive us to anxiety and depression.”
Today’s question: What Bible verses grow your contentment with three walnuts or no walnuts? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “”Our point of need – help”