whatsoever state I am in

The apostle Paul made this statement:




Phillipians 4:10-12KJV

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need

The Apostle Paul in his previous life (before Christ) was wealthy, Religious, earnest, by the standards of the world he had it all.

However, his true education about having it all came after he met Christ. True inner peace comes in who you are, Whom you serve, Not what you have.

Over the last year and a half it has been very tough for my wife and I. For a good while I was out of work, but I was happy working with the church to get an online radio station, live broadcast of our services, A website up and running, and here on my blog. I must say even though we were struggling mightily financially I was quite happy and content.
Now I have gone back to work, Working 60 to 70 hrs a week. Our income from last year to this has tripled and I find it not quite as satisfying as I did last year.

My whole point to this little diatribe is this:

It doesn't matter how much you make, how much you have, it matters how much you are in God's Will. The peace and joy that come from doing His work is priceless, boundless, endless, and limitless.
John 15:10-12King James Version (KJV)

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

I see so many people striving for happiness whether through stuff, or through foreign substances, or personal pursuits yet they never achieve it.

Remember the old song Little is much when God is in it? 5 loaves and 2 fishes fed thousands? The fish gave Peter a gold coin for taxes? A rock gave the Israelites water?

God has provided time and time again, just as He has for my wife and I when I was out of work. Now He is providing the money we give to Him and that brings a joy as well. We tithe and give to missions not so we can say look at us, but so we can say thank you to God for His blessings. 

We have been both abased and blessed over the last year and a half and I am still learning to say "whatsoever state I am in". God has been good to us, but sometimes my pride, my "self-worth", gets in the way.

I was far more humble making nothing and having God meet my every need. Every now and then I look at my paycheck and say "is this all" instead of "Thank you for so much".

God is still working on me, in me and for me. 

Let me learn that no matter what state I am in there with to be content. No matter what I am, what I have it all comes from God and His bounty not of my own doing. It is from His Goodness, His treasury and not through works or actions or any other thing I do.