Would you agree that joy and contentment are almost inseparable? It’s really impossible to have one without the other, isn’t it? Perhaps one of them does come before the other, however, and that may be why Paul wants his readers to grasp how very important it is to understand that true contentment (not passivity or complacency) doesn’t just come naturally. It comes “through the One who gives you and me the power and strength to be content” – to see God’s hand at work in all the circumstances, disappointments, and surprises that come into my life. (Phil 4:13 – The Voice) So, today, Lord, I ask You to make my heart and my mind content, at peace, so that I can experience the joy that You came to give Your children, including me.
