The Art of Contentment part two

In Philippians, Paul speaks of contentment and even states that whatever his circumstances, he has learned to be content.

Chapter 4, verses 11-13 are quoted often when referring to difficult circumstances.
I think if you look back closer to the beginning of chapter four, you'll find a nugget of wisdom and perhaps the answer to truly being content whatever your circumstances.

In verse 8 he says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Now, some might say that there are circumstances in which there is nothing worthy of praise, there is nothing honorable, there is nothing good to think on.

But I think if we take this verse and another verse in Colossians then we get an answer to our contentment issue. In the third chapter, second verse, Paul writes, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

These two verses together give us an answer to our contentment issue.

Regardless of our circumstances, if we CHOOSE to think on the things of heaven, on the things of the Lord, then we will have something true and honorable and just and lovely and commendable and excellent and worthy of praise to think on.

And as we all know, our lack of contentment begins in our heads when we begin focusing on what we lack or our less than perfect circumstances.

Ultimately, I think we have to decide if we really believe God's word.
And if we do, then we have to live like we do.

I will say from experience that this is easy to say and hard to do.
Just like athletes train for races or events, we have to train ourselves to finish our journey is this life as we look to the next, eternal life.
It's that thought that makes the pain of losing my daughter easier to bear because when I think of the life that is to come, she is there.
And the first time I see her face, I will never have to say good-bye to it.
In that I can be content to live with this present pain because compared to what my days in eternity will be like, it is just for a day.