Circumstance, Shmircumstance

Life Work:

Circumstance, Shmircumstance

Scripture Memory Verse:

“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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

-        Philippians 4:11-13 NIV

 Life Work Assignments:

1.)    Take an honest assessment of yourself. Do you find yourself dependent on circumstance and independent of Christ? Or do you rely wholly and completely on Him alone and are independent of external circumstance, that is content?

2.)    The truth is most of us are pulled and pushed by circumstance. They determine our mood. They determine our attitude. They determine our actions. They control us. Circumstance usually gains control over us through our thoughts. Take a look at your thoughts and compare them to Philippians 4:6-9. Where are your thoughts coming from? Magazines or tv shows? A negative group of friends? Constant self-centered thinking? What do you need to do to make your thoughts reflect Philippians 4:6-9?

3.)    Look at Hebrews 11. Look up some of the stories of those mentioned in this Chapter. Answer these questions for the people listed in this chapter:  What was their circumstance? How could they have been swayed by it? What natural emotions might you have felt in their circumstance? How did they go against their natural inclination to depend on circumstance and how did they depend on God?

4.)    Read some verses on thoughts and attitudes. Meditate on them. Think about what they meant for the writer. Do some research about who wrote these verses and what they mean.

5.)    Contentment, regardless of what is going on around you, is a learned behavior that starts with knowing God’s truth. If you find yourself being pulled by what is going on in your circumstances, get into God’s word. Start learning His promises to you and memorize them. Speak them to yourself when you find yourself being pulled. Renew your mind daily. Read Hebrews 4:12 and Romans 12:2. Renewal is a process. It is done over and over again. God’s word is the only way to learn this process.

6.)    One of the greatest ways we can become dependent upon God instead of circumstance is to turn every fear into a prayer. When a thought pops into your mind that encourages you to become dependent on circumstance, turn it into a prayer.