Rev. Ray and Pat Amos
Philippians 4:11-13
I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
“Learning the Secret of Living”
The fellowship was joyful and far more positive than some church gatherings that I have known. These dear friends testified of answered prayers and the faithfulness of God. I don’t recall one complaint or critically spoken word. Each hug and kind greeting made it feel like I was walking among a room full of friends, and I was.
Such days are amazing to me. These dear ones were standing in a food line. Hard times were a large part of their life, yet they had found in their lack what we often lose in our abundance.
Luke wrote, “Blessed are the poor for yours is the kingdom of God.” This was in no way an unsympathetic statement, but a reality that we often witness. The kingdom of God has never been about the stuff we acquire in life. We live in a world where some seem to get the lion’s share of wealth and daily supply, while others get little or none. The kingdom of God is about how followers of Christ respond to such a world.
My friends in the food line were wealthier than some who had plenty. They did not look in their own cabinets for daily bread, but trusted the one who told all of us, rich and poor, to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
“How are you doing,” I asked a man who labored hard at menial labor for an unkind wage. He could have complained about many things, but he said with a smile, “I am blessed by the best.”
We often learn Heaven’s ways from earthly life. Paul wrote, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13. Perhaps you remember this poem:
“With feet to take me where I’d go,
With eyes to see the sunset’s glow,
With ears to hear what I should know:
I’m blessed indeed. The world is mine:
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.”
Grace and Peace, Rev Ray
