Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 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. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Having some difficulty navigating through the thought of another year without a significant other. You’re not alone! A lot of single Christian women find themselves not knowing quite what to do. It hasn’t been a full week into the New Year and for some, waking up in the morning holds the same mundane feeling as it did the day before the New Year rolled around. If you’re feeling a little like this, in Philippians 4:12, the Apostle Paul tells us there’s a secret you might want to know. It’s the secret of living and being content in every situation. This is not something you simply stumble upon and realize instantly. It’s a secret that must be learned and being committed to the lesson would be a tremendous way to start the New Year!
The Apostle Paul said in the passage in Philippians 4:11-13 that he’d found the secret of living in every situation. The “living” he’s referring to is not just barely making it or getting by. It’s not walking around mostly feeling emotionally depleted by one’s circumstances and conditions. Many single sisters do feel this way, and they are angered by the suggestion that they can change. They say things like “you don’t realize how hard this is.” We certainly do not want to be insensitive, but the truth is that we have some authority in this area. We’ve walked the walk and know the challenges of being single longer than one would like. But we also know the truth, and the truth is that we can’t expect different results from doing the same things. Something about our approach has to change, because change will always and forever begin on the inside, and then it will affect the outside. Change must begin in our hearts.
Paul learned the secret to living in every situation by doing everything through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! He didn’t know all the answers. He had to learn just as you and I have to learn. Some of us have never asked Jesus Christ to teach us how to live. We haven’t been patient and want all the answers upfront, but those of us that are born-again of the Spirit are IN Christ, and things don’t run on our time schedules.
In Galatians 2:20 (NLT), Paul said, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” The same is true for us. In John 14:6, Jesus Christ tells us that he is life! And we can be one million percent sure that he is life to the max. He is life to its fullest capacity. Jesus Christ is the secret to living that Paul referred to in Philippians 4:12. It is being full of vitality, enthusiasm, love, and gratitude to God even when circumstances are not optimum. It is having unwavering faith that we can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to teach you how to thrive in his fullness while you’re single, because this is a lesson that can’t wait until you’re married.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Secret of Living in Every Situation”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.