Too often we let our circumstances determine our attitude. If life is going smoothly, then we feel good, but when it gets hard, our mood drops. As Christians, we don’t have to live this way. Like the apostle Paul, we can learn to be content with whatever God brings or allows in our life.
God allows various kinds of suffering to help us mature in faith and become more like Jesus. (See Romans 5:3-5.) In these situations, contentment is the ability to accept life as it is—not wanting anything more or different. Such acceptance is possible only if we maintain a biblical perspective and rely on God’s strength in our weakness. But if we fight against our circumstances, we’ll be miserable because we’re resisting the Lord and His purposes for us. He’s working out His perfect plan through each event in our life—even the ones we don’t like. (Of course, when hardship is due to abuse or certain other sinful situations, pastors or Christian counselors can help us discern whether self-protection is necessary.)
Submission and trust are essential for contentment. As long as we try to control the situation or maneuver our way out of it, we’ll be stressed and discontent. But if we realize that whatever God allows is for our good, we’ll be able to surrender our will and desires. Then, by relying on the Lord’s wisdom and strength, we’ll discover the contentment only He can give.
Joseph’s enslavement lasted for 13 years and went from bad to worse. He lost his favored position in Potiphar’s household and went to prison when the master’s wife told lies about him. His hope for release from jail died when the king’s servant forgot his promise (Genesis 40:14; Genesis 40:23). His future looked bleak.
Despite the evidence of circumstances, God was carrying out His plan to bless Joseph and his entire family. In fact, Joseph was God’s appointed person to rescue them from the coming famine. But for that to happen, he had to learn the Egyptian language and culture, develop leadership abilities, and mature spiritually. The Lord’s plan made it all possible.
Joseph learned two helpful lessons. First, the Lord is a faithful companion who uses our troubles to prepare us for His work. Second, once the Lord has accomplished His purposes, the difficulty will end. At God’s chosen moment, Joseph was freed from jail, rewarded with a high-ranking appointment, and reconciled with his family.
Adversity can be painful, but the Lord uses it to further His purposes and equip us to carry out His plan. What is He trying to teach you in the midst of your trials?
Joseph is one of my favorite Bible characters. I mention him often because there’s so much to learn from his life. Today’s passage is a good example, as it reveals two of his traits that we should emulate.
1. He demonstrated a servant spirit early in life. Genesis 37 describes the things that took place when Joseph was around 17 years old. In every exchange, the young man embodied respect and discipline; he never rebelled against those in authority over him. In fact, he continually went out of his way to serve others.
2. Joseph realized God was controlling his life. How else can you explain his relentless pursuit of excellence in every trial? No matter what happened to him, Joseph always remembered the divine visions he’d been given in his teen years (Gen. 37:1-6). He believed there was a plan for his life and felt convinced that somehow, sometime, God would reveal what it was.
Whether you are 17 or 77, the lessons of Joseph’s life are valuable. It is never too late to learn the art of service or to recognize that God’s plan is perfect. What’s more, it’s never too late to help someone else discover these things.
The scene of the cross is a paradox. It demonstrates the power of God in what appears to be the weakest moment in His Son’s life. With hands and feet nailed to rough wood, Jesus looked totally helpless. And He remained there while the crowd jeered, “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:39-40).
Strength is not always revealed in a dramatic display; at times, it’s demonstrated in determined endurance. Jesus could have freed Himself with one spoken word, but love kept Him there on the cross. With mankind’s eternal destiny at stake, Christ hung on until our salvation was attained.
What’s more, the power of the cross didn’t end when Jesus died—His death opened the door of salvation to all people. Whoever trusts in Him by faith is forgiven for every sin and assured a place in heaven. And the power of the cross remains after salvation, transforming believers’ lives. Jesus sets us free and empowers us to live victoriously in His righteousness.
Have you let the cross do its work in your life? The Lord will not force it on you. Instead, He offers righteousness freely to all who believe in Him and walk in His ways.
If the heavenly Father is good and loving, why would He allow His Son to be crucified? From our perspective, there is nothing loving in this scene.
To grasp what happened at the cross, we must first understand that the Lord is righteous and just. He does what is right and never contradicts His Word. On the other hand, mankind is sinful and deserving of punishment. God couldn’t simply forgive us, because He would then cease to be just—and justice requires a penalty for sin. Either the Lord had to condemn us all to suffer His wrath, or He needed a plan that would satisfy His justice and allow His mercy.
Before the foundation of the world, the Lord had such a plan in place (Revelation 13:8). Jesus came to earth to be our sin bearer, and the Father placed our guilt and punishment on Him. Because the Savior’s payment satisfied justice, sinful man could be declared righteous.
When we trust in Christ and acknowledge that His payment was made on our behalf, we are forgiven of our sins and blessed with salvation. God’s perfect Son was the only One who qualified to be our substitute, and Jesus did it all willingly. Through an act that appeared cruel and hateful, God’s goodness and love was revealed to the world.
