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“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
“What’s next?”
I find myself asking this question a lot.
I constantly strive for the next thing. I cast a vision for something, I strive to accomplish it, and then I work towards the next big thing. This endless pursuit leaves us drained.
The hustle of this life can cause a stir within us. Many of us have this constant longing for the next thing - the next adventure, the next promotion, or the next thing checked off our list. The cycle is constant. It leaves many with a feeling of something missing.
We read in Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 about wisdom from King Solomon. Despite having all the wealth and wisdom and processions, he struggled with the empty feeling of life being meaningless and unsatisfying.
He writes, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desire; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
What a tragic depiction of what it looks like to strive after the things of this world. Solomon possessed everything anyone could ever desire, yet he didn’t find any lasting satisfaction! He understands the truth that the treasures of this world hold no lasting value because they do not fulfill us forever.
We lose sight on having joy in the present. We fail to be content in our current circumstances. We don’t appreciate the blessings we have today. We always need more, more, more. It’s crucial that we be content in any situation.
Whether well-clothed or not.
Whether well-fed or not.
Whether we get that promotion or not.
Whether we win that game or not.
Because the secret to being content in any situation isn’t anything that this world has to offer. It’s a rock-solid relationship with Christ.
Paul writes about this in Philippians 4:11-12, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
This all comes right before the most mis-quoted scriptures by athletes across the world in verse 13, “I can do all things though Christ who gives me strength.”
Yes, it is true that we can do all things through Christ. It’s not just a verse we use as a nod to God when things go our way in life. It means more than that. It’s about where to go when we’re most devastated in life. To whom do we go when we are in our lowest of lows?
The secret to true satisfaction in this world is knowing the Christ Jesus is your Lord. Paul writes a little earlier in Philippians 3:8, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
That’s where we find our answer. That’s where we stop asking the question “What’s Next?”
Because He is the Bread of Life. When we come to Him we will no longer hunger. When we believe in Him we will no longer be thirsty for something else.
The answer to the question “What’s Next?” for us becomes this: sharing His glory for eternity.
To God be the Glory.
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“Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God‘s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God‘s grace.”
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I pray that your day is full of reminders of God’s love and faithfulness. May you faithfully build your life on Christ.
“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
To God be the glory,
Coach T