Paul lived the life that he preached. To live life with God is not just a matter of observing a code of ethics and helping other people, it is a complete change of position. Paul lived on a completely different plane and had completely different concerns to most people. Most people concern themselves with what they have and don’t have, but for Paul this was irrelevant. The only thing that concerned him was walking where God wanted him to walk. Sometimes this path went over mountains and sometimes through valleys; sometimes this path went through places of abundance and sometimes through lack. It is not that Paul did not feel the hardships of lack but that there was something more important being gained along the way. The most important thing at any stage in Paul’s life was whether he was on God’s path with God. If he knew that then he could be content with whatever God gave to him along the way, whatever that may be. He knew that he would always have what he needed to walk the path, and that was the most important thing. God calls all of us to live this way. We can transcend the preoccupation with ‘have’ and ‘have not’ by ensuring that we are being the people God calls us to be. Life is about being, not having. Contentment is not getting what you want but minimising want itself. Let God simplify and focus your desires. What causes the most anxiety in life is not unfulfilled desires but disoriented desire.
Ask God to simplify and focus your desires. Spend some time seeking him .
Read Philippians 4:10-23
