Having been back for a little over a week now, I've been reflecting on both my time in Spain and how I'm presently feeling. A predominant sensation is that of feeling content. I think we often view the word "content" as a mild, pleasant word, but the Apostle Paul used it in Philippians 4 to sum up his experience of trusting and resting in God's provision in all circumstances that he found himself in. In that simple word he declares that God's grace is more than sufficient for anything life can throw at us- wonderful, horrific, amazing, challenging. At his core, joy is present because he knows that he is loved and redeemed by God. Circumstances change but God's redeeming love is eternal. He writes that he can do all things through God who gives him strength. I think what he is saying is that he has learned the secret of contentment, namely to rely not on himself but to always be completely reliant on God. God's power and grace and love will provide more than we need or can imagine.
I had been thinking about this and then the horrific terrorist attacks happened in Paris. I thought that maybe I shouldn't write about feeling content when such terrible atrocities were occurring. We live in such a broken world. I do believe that it is only by God's love and grace and compassion flowing through us that we have any hope of reconciliation and peace. My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones to this violence and feel full of fear and terror and grief and rage. I pray that in some way they will experience God's loving presence in the midst of their pain.
No comments:
Post a Comment