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The peace that God gives is not subject to the vicissitudes of life. It is a spiritual peace; it is an attitude of heart and mind when we believe and thus know deep down that all is well between ourselves and God.
This unfortunate process begins when we stop focusing on our permanent condition in Christ, who will certainly bring us into His glory, and when we start basing our happiness on the fleeting things of the world.
if we continue to rely on worldly things, which by definition will always change, we will spend our lives in distress.
(Job 5:17–18, 20–24)
If you understand that God is using all the difficulties you face to perfect you, you’ll be at peace.
the conditions for receiving it are trusting God, turning from sin, enduring the refining process, doing good, and living by the Word.
(Phil. 2:14–16).
Our concerns are productive when they lead to a sensible course of action, but not when they lead to anxiety.
They spread a noxious poison that quickly infects other people. They have the capability of setting into motion a group panic attack.
Complaining is the symptom of a deep-seated spiritual problem—a failure to trust God and submit to His will.
We are living in a fallen world. It isn’t always going to be the way we like it, and the people around us aren’t always going to be the way we’d like them to be.
It’s incongruous to be talking about the gospel of forgiveness, joy, peace, and comfort, yet be moaning and complaining much of the time.
Christ and contentment go together.
Until we truly learn that God is sovereign, ordering everything for His own holy purposes and the ultimate good of those who love Him, we can’t help but be discontent.
Contentment comes from learning that God is sovereign not only by supernatural intervention but also by natural orchestration.
The one thing that steals our contentment more than anything else is trying circumstances.
Realize any circumstance you face is only temporary.
Paul was referring to endurance, not miraculous provision.
Contentment is a by-product of distress. It comes when you experience the sustaining power of Christ when you simply have run out of steam: “To him who lacks might He increases power” (Isa. 40:29).
