I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
- Philippians 4:12-13
A few days ago, I went home for lunch with no plan as to what I would eat. I blindly opened up the fridge only to realize there were no leftovers, no meat for sandwiches, not much of anything I could throw together into a meal. I looked in the pantry and got no help there either.
Starving but stubbornly wanting to avoid fast food, I went to the grocery store and resolved to get one of their ready-made meals. When I got there, I faced the opposite problem I’d had at home—I was paralyzed by the abundance of choices. I’d suddenly gone from no options to infinite options!
Life can be like that—empty one minute and abundant the next. Some days nothing seems to go right and it feels like it’s you against the world. Other times you float through the day, hitting every light green and knowing the answer to every question.
If you let circumstances dictate your attitude, much less your behavior, it’s enough to give you spiritual whiplash. But the apostle Paul explains the key to finding some sort of equilibrium—not by expecting life to stabilize, but by finding your strength in Christ. Having known both the best and the worst life had to offer, Paul’s secret to finding strength was leaning on the Lord’s.
Some days life will give you a banquet, other days an empty pantry. But if you rely on Jesus, you will always be satisfied.
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