Contentment Is Harder Than It Sounds - Martin Wiles

So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 1 Timothy 6:8 NLT

I carried them out by the handfuls—a seemingly endless task. Contentment is harder than it sounds.

Our move was complete—except for moving our clothes. Although my wife doesn’t buy fancy clothes—nor buy them from expensive stores—she loves new outfits … or at least ones new to her. Her closet brimmed with pants, dresses, and blouses.

Of course, my closet didn’t look much better. The difference is that I don’t buy new clothes. I don’t have to because my wife does. By the time I finished emptying my closet, one car was full. Then I started on my wife’s. This filled the second car and taxed my nerves.

This is ridiculous, I thought. We both have enough clothes to wear for two months without washing. I thought of the old days when houses didn’t have closets. No need for them. Over time, closets were added, but they were small and dark. Not much to put in there. People had one or two Sunday go-to-meeting outfits, and maybe a few pairs of work pants and shirts. And in developing or impoverished countries, this is still the case.

Paul’s instructions to young Timothy were for him to be content with food and clothing. I suppose we should throw shelter in the mix. Perhaps Paul takes for granted that we’re smart enough to know we need protection from the elements. But how much clothing or food?

When I was a teenager, contentment meant name-brand jeans—Levi’s. It also entailed a certain brand of tennis shoes—Converse. And when it came to a bicycle, it had to have high handlebars and a banana seat. Later, my contentment was measured by larger things with higher price tags. I’m certainly not high maintenance, but neither am I satisfied with a Spam sandwich every night and two pairs of clothes.

But true contentment isn’t measured by things—or even power, notoriety, or recognition. Contentment is found in a restored relationship with the Creator, followed by trusting him to meet all our needs, not wants. Since God is all-knowing, he knows what we need—along with how much of it. We don’t have to have mounds of anything; we do, however, need mounds of his love and mercy.

Find contentment in a close and growing relationship with Christ. Nothing else will satisfy.

Father, may I find joy and satisfaction in my daily walk with you.  

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

The Pancakes - Lynne Phipps

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 NIV

My granddaughters love pancakes and request them for breakfast whenever they stay overnight, which is frequently. Since I make the batter from scratch, the girls are always anxious to help by fetching ingredients and stirring the mixture for the pancakes. 

One day, seven-year-old Ade asked if she could try making the batter. Ade is a bit like a hummingbird: never still and always moving quickly rather than cautiously. I was tempted to say no, sure a mess would ensue if I granted her request, and I do so hate a mess. Still, I mused, she did need to learn sometime and maybe today was the right time. Thus, I reluctantly agreed.

First, I had her read the recipe through, and we discussed the meaning of the measurement symbols. Then she retrieved the ingredients from the pantry. Next, we measured the wet ingredients, along with cracking the egg. Dry ingredients followed, and then we added the wet to the dry, then mixed everything. She had accomplished her task. 

Yes, flour was on the counter and the floor. Milk had slopped over, and I had to pick eggshells from the batter. Ingredient containers littered the countertop. Yet, Ade’s beaming face and confidence in her success far outshone the cluttered, messy countertop. Today, she not only makes the batter with little mess but also is adept at pouring the batter onto the griddle. She also knows when the pancakes are ready to turn and flips them with ease. She also cleans up.

In the book of Acts, Paul had a sharp disagreement with Barnabas over taking along a young disciple, John Mark. For some reason, Paul had dismissed him earlier. Barnabas disagreed and felt the young man should be given another chance. He was not willing to give up on him. 

Later, in the book of Timothy, Paul realized that John Mark was a good and helpful worker. Thankfully, Barnabas had persevered with patience and gentleness, aiding this young follower of Christ to grow into a mature and valued Christian man.

Likewise, each of us has many opportunities in our daily lives to be patient and gentle with those who are still growing and learning. After all, who among us can ever say that we have nothing more to learn? 

Let us therefore pray for open eyes and hearts to see those whom God places in our pathway. Additionally, we can teach them in whatever ways God may reveal to us. In this way, we can encourage their confidence and maturity. After all, isn’t this what God does for us?

Father God, help me today to be willing to help others grow and mature as the need and opportunity arise. In Christ’s name, amen.

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

 

Stirring Up the Gift Gave You - Martin Wiles

Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6 NKJV

I sat in the ladder-back chair, wondering what I should do and feeling a bit useless. I needed to stir up a gift. 

The day before our move arrived, but my wife and I were already at our new residence, unpacking boxes. At least, she was. With no internet or satellite, what could I do? If I unpacked, I’d have to wait for her to tell me where to put it. So, I sat.

“Is there something I can help you do?” I asked.

“No, just sit there,” she replied. So, I did.

A few minutes later, she yelled from the next room, “See if you can find me a magic marker.”

Finally, something I could do. I walked into each room, perusing the boxes. No magic marker. How she expected me to find such a small item among the mounds of boxes and bags sitting in every nook and cranny, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

“I don’t see one,” I finally surrendered after searching in vain.

“Well, it won’t jump up and grab you,” came her curt reply. “Look in the boxes.” I searched again. No luck. I failed at my one chance to do something.

Tomorrow would be different. I’d have something to do. Move in the large pieces of furniture and hang pictures.

Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father and had commissioned him into the ministry. Now he reminds him to stir up that gift of pastoring a church.

Sitting around in a ladder-back chair twiddling my thumbs isn’t the way to discover God’s gift to me. God has things for all His children to do, and He gifts and talents us accordingly. There have been times when I’ve wondered what my gift was—or if I had one—but each time God showed up and showed me what it was.

Through prayer and effort, we can discover God’s gift. When I wondered if he had gifted me to teach, all I had to do was try. Had teaching not been my gift, I would have quickly discovered it—or someone would have kindly let me know. Some gifts all believers have—such as serving—but God gives all believers gifts. Gifts are his presents, so we can accomplish his kingdom work in this world.

Don’t sit around wondering what your gift is. Ask God to show you, and then find yourself stirring up the gift God gave you.

Father, thank you for giving me gifts so I can do your work in the world. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Chili and Beans

 

Ingredients

1 SMALL BAG DRIED PINTO BEANS

          
1 ½ POUND GROUND CHUCK

1 TABLESPOON CHILI POWDER

1 LARGE ONION (DICED)

1 CAN ROTEL

1 CAN TOMATO PASTE

½ TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON PEPPER

¼ TEASPOON GARLIC

1 BELL PEPPER (DICED)

 Directions
SOAK BEANS OVERNIGHT IN COLD WATER IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

WHEN READY TO COOK, COVER THE BEANS WITH WATER AND COOK FOR 3 HOURS OR UNTIL TENDER.

BROWN BEEF AND ADD ONION AND PEPPER.

COOK UNTIL TENDER.

ADD SEASONING AND CHILI POWDER ALONG WITH ROTEL AND TOMATO PASTE.

SIMMER 30 MINUTES.

ADD PINTOS AND SIMMER.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Lukewarm Faith in a Hot-and-Cold World - Martin Wiles

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

The sign read: House for Rent. Hot and Cold Running Water.

Though laughable now, there was a time when having indoor plumbing was a luxury only the wealthy knew anything about. Water was drawn from a well or creek and carried indoors. Getting hot water meant cutting wood and placing cold water in pots in the fireplace or on a wood-burning stove.

On one mid-August trip through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, my wife and I noticed the leaves on the highest-elevation trees turning. Odd, I thought, this early, but then again, that’s what tree leaves do. As the summer season ended and the daylight hours got shorter, the leaves lost their luminescence and revealed their natural color. The yellows shone through beautifully. 

Christians shouldn’t run hot and cold or change like the leaves on a tree. Nor should we have lukewarm faith in a hot-and-cold world. Paul encouraged the early believers to be steadfast in their love for the Lord and in their work for him. Only by steadfastness would they be able to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and teach people how to be his disciples.

But we also don’t want to burn out doing God’s work—nor does God expect us to. Unfortunately, I’ve known quite a few believers who did. Burnout can come from trying too hard to alleviate feelings of guilt over past sins, from serving with the wrong motives, or from trying to boost one’s self-esteem.

Another entire set of people tends to drop out rather than burn out. Among 18- to 22-year-olds, around 70% drop out of church after graduating from high school. Reasons they give for doing so include life changes, needing a break, moving away to college, work interference, judgmental or unfriendly pastors or church members, a change in their views, or an acknowledgement that they previously only attended to please someone.

God’s work requires determination. The abundant life Jesus offers requires the same. Otherwise, we’ll change like the leaves or run hot and cold like water. The power to remain steadfast instead of becoming lukewarm doesn’t lie within us, but in the power of God’s Spirit. He provides the want that keeps us keeping on—and for the right reasons.

Don’t let a lukewarm faith cause you to turn like the leaves. Serve God with consistency and diligence.

Father, enable me to check my motives for serving you. Then, give me the staying power to serve you faithfully until the end. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Intercessory Prayer - Patricia Jordan

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. 1 Timothy 2:1 ESV

On New Year’s Day, I felt led to make an intercessory prayer for my extended family, although nothing specific came to mind. A few weeks later, one of my sisters texted that she and her husband would close on a house soon. I had no idea they had become discontented with their nice but older home that sat at the edge of their small town. It was built in the 1940s, but each new owner had updated it.

It was time to call my sister and catch up on their new plans. She told me that many young families were moving into their neighborhood. It was getting too busy and noisy for them.

A realtor’s sign in their yard quickly brought a young couple who wanted their house. The problem was where my sister and her husband would move. They had looked in the county but hadn’t found a house within their budget.

With their realtor, they looked again and found their perfect newer house—one on which the seller had just lowered the price. My sister and her husband locked in on the sale and buy dates and made a nice profit from selling their old home.

In buying their new home, the seller paid the $9,000 in closing costs. She had inherited the house and, with her husband, had lived there for decades. But now they had a new home built nearby and were eager to move into it.

None of this was a coincidence because that word is not found in the Bible and doesn’t exist in God’s plan. 

When we pray and intercede, we should want what God wants for us or others, not what we might want.

In the above verse, the Apostle Paul says we should give thanks for all people because God desires for all to be saved.

Praying for others’ salvation is a priority. Then, we should pray for wisdom, blessings, healings, and other prayer concerns. No one knows what the outcome will be. Prayers can have amazing outcomes, as when Elisha asked God to show his servant how protected they were.  

Make sure you are interceding for others. 

Adonia, let me be obedient to following your will. Amen

Patricia Jordan is a seventh-generation southerner from the Appalachian Mountains. She is thankful to return and live there after living in various parts of the world with her retired military husband. They have raised three daughters. She has published You Are Valuable (Westbow), which is her story of how she overcame chronic low-grade depression through Bible study, prayer, and talk therapy. Lately, she has turned her writing talents to writing devotions about walking with God.  

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

 

 

 

 

 

What's Stealing My Attention - Martin Wiles

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Isaiah 30:21 NLT

Getting shoppers sidetracked is a retailer’s dream come true. Who hasn’t had to ask, “What’s stealing my attention?” And not for the better. 

After a long day of sweating in the hot, humid temperatures of a South Carolina August, my wife and I showered and readied ourselves for church. Moving isn’t fun, but we had no choice.

Following church, we stopped by the local Wal-Mart for a few necessities: curtain rods and a gallon of milk. Tired from a day of moving, I said, “Now, we’re just going to get those two things and leave, right?”

“That’s all,” my wife remarked.

As we entered the store, we began walking in the wrong direction: the garden center. “Your mom said they had chair cushions on sale.”

And so our visit went. Although we only came out with four items instead of two, I had to continually keep my wife pointed toward what we came to get. My recliner was calling my name, but the retailer’s reputation for putting things in my wife’s path that attracted her kept sidetracking her.

God did his best to keep the nation of Israel on track. He sent prophets, priests, and judges who kept his ways before them, but they kept getting sidetracked. The pagan nations around them put more attractive things in their path.

I’m not much different than God’s people of old. In fact, I’ve been known to get sidetracked in Wal-Mart myself—just not over the same things my wife does. That’s how the enemy of our souls works. Through experience, he learns what attracts us. He won’t try to sidetrack me with clothes or shoes because he knows they don’t interest me. But he will throw up a few tech gadgets, a new backpack, or a recently released Kindle book.

I had to continue telling my wife not to get sidetracked. “Keep your eyes focused on what we came for,” I reminded her.

I must do the same for myself. If I don’t, Satan will lead me in sinful or unhealthy directions. And like a puppy on a leash, I’ll follow if I’m not clothed in my spiritual armor. By the power of God’s Spirit, we can say no, get what we came to get, and go home.

Don’t get sidetracked by Satan’s attempt to convince you that you need things you don’t.

Father, give me the power to say no to Satan’s attempts to sidetrack me. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.