Being Content

John answered, A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.] John 3:27

There is no other source for anything for us than what we are first given from our Father. Think of the peace that this Truth should bring us. There is no other source of what we need than from God. So if we need peace; we must be content that it has to come from Heaven. If we need to forgive others, that forgiveness has to first come to us from our Father, Who is greater in us than anything that is in this world. If we need love, faith, hope, joy, understanding, wisdom, health, food, wealth, or whatever, it has to first come to us from Heaven. The responsibility of our success is all on our Father, how cool is that? 

I will be honest, I am not as content as I should be with that Truth. Many times when trials arise I still tend to think that I have to do something first to get our Father to give me what I need to be successful. But our yoke is so much easier than that.  

And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Our peace that passes all understanding is that we do not have to fret if we don’t understand. We don’t need to worry that we aren’t measuring up or that we should be doing more. The Truth is that we can only do more if our Father causes us to do more. The churches that I grew up in would absolutely condemn me to Hell for saying that. They would say that I am lazy and that I am content with being worldly, but that is not the Truth at all. I am not content with sin, or with not being used more. But our Father is causing me to grow at being content with the Truth that it has to be Him completely working through us. The Holy Spirit has not brought me perfect peace with this yet, but He has brought me a lot farther along than I used to be.    

Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Philippians 1:6

I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. John 15:5