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MY VICTORY VOYAGE || Be Content—Don’t Resent || The Secret Strength of Contentment

In MY VICTORY VOYAGE I’m sharing various trials I’ve faced and how God’s faithfulness has carried me through. Join me on the 2nd Friday of each month in 2025 as we reflect on His restoration and grace. This is the final column in this series.

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.” — Philippians 4:11 (NLT)

I’ve always considered myself a fairly happy person. Yet lately, I’ve noticed discontentment sneaking in more—not in the big things, but in the small, everyday routines of life. I’ll be scrolling social media and suddenly feel a twinge of longing. Friends traveling, celebrating, or enjoying life in ways that seem more exciting than my own simple rhythms. Before I know it, joy has slipped into comparison, and comparison has turned into resentment.

But God has been whispering a phrase to my heart: “Be Content—Don’t Resent.”

The Apostle Paul understood this secret well. He wrote that he had “learned how to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need.” The secret wasn’t in his circumstances—it was in his Savior. Paul drew his strength from Christ, not from possessions, achievements, or experiences.

My Life Application Study Bible explains it like this:

“Paul knew how to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need. The secret was drawing on Christ’s power for strength. If you are always wanting more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment in every circumstance.”

Contentment is something we learn—it doesn’t come naturally. It’s cultivated by shifting our gaze from what we lack to the abundance we already have in Christ. When I thank Him for the small blessings—a quiet morning, a warm cup of coffee, the love of my husband, the joy of my dogs—resentment begins to melt away. The ordinary becomes extraordinary when I see it through the lens of gratitude.

If you find yourself restless or longing for more, here are a few simple practices to try:

    • Pray daily for contentment. Ask God to help you see your life the way He sees it.
    • Practice gratitude. Write down three small blessings each day and thank Him for them.
    • Guard your heart. Limit the voices or images (like social media) that stir up discontent.
    • Rest in His promises. Trust that God will supply all your needs in the way He knows is best.

Friend, contentment isn’t about settling for less—it’s about discovering the secret strength of Christ in every circumstance. Paul learned it, which means you and I can learn it too. Let’s choose to be content, not resentful, and find joy in the One who makes even the simplest parts of life enough.

A Closing Reflection

As I wrap up this year-long journey of My Victory Voyage, I am humbled by how faithful God has been. Month by month, we’ve walked through storms, questions, struggles, and triumphs together. Each step has reminded me that victory isn’t found in perfect circumstances—it’s found in the steady presence of Jesus.

From anxiety and fear, to learning how to trust, surrender, and now contentment, this voyage has been as much yours as it has been mine. My prayer is that the stories and scriptures we’ve shared have met you in your own moments of weakness and reminded you of God’s unchanging strength.

This final column closes with Paul’s words: “I have learned to be content with whatever I have” (Philippians 4:11). Contentment isn’t instant, and it isn’t easy, but it is possible through Christ. If we take nothing else from this journey, may we carry this truth forward: His grace is enough, His power is our strength, and His presence is our victory.

Thank you for sailing with me on this year’s voyage. Until we meet again, may you walk daily in His peace, His victorious love and His joy!

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THE TWELVE STEPS TO VICTORY™ || Step Twelve || Sharing the Hope of Victory

In The Twelve Steps to Victory column, we’re reframing the traditional 12 Steps with a focus on victory vs continually looking back at our missteps and failures. Each Step aligns with the months on the yearly calendar. This series publishes on the first Friday of each month in 2025. This is the final column in this series.

“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs, sharing the victory we’ve found with others.” ~ Step Twelve

When we arrive at Step Twelve, we discover that recovery is not the end of the road, but the beginning of a new way of living. Every prayer prayed, every confession spoken, every truth faced, and every surrender offered has led us to a place of victory — not just for ourselves, but to be shared with others.

Victory is never meant to be hoarded. God’s grace flows through us like living water

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart. ~John 7:38 NLT

When we testify of His goodness, that living water refreshes not only us but those around us. Our story becomes a bridge that helps someone else believe that freedom is possible.

The Joy of Giving Away What We’ve Received

The beautiful paradox of Step Twelve is that the more we give away, the more we are strengthened. When we sit with a trembling sister who doesn’t yet believe she can change, our words of hope plant seeds in her soul. As Paul wrote,

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others” ~ 2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT

In this step, we don’t need to be perfect examples — we are living proof that God works through imperfect people. Our scars, instead of disqualifying us, become the very evidence of God’s healing power.

Practicing the Principles in Daily Life

Carrying the message is more than speaking words. It’s living a life transformed by Christ. It’s choosing forgiveness instead of resentment, prayer instead of panic, love instead of bitterness. It’s showing up consistently, not because we’re strong, but because God is faithful.

When our recovery principles become part of our everyday life, others will see something different in us. They may not know what it is at first, but our peace, joy, and steady faith will point them straight to Jesus.

A Call to Action

Sisters, Step Twelve calls us out of isolation and into purpose. It is an invitation to share the hope of victory — in our families, our church, our workplaces, and in the lives of women still searching for freedom.

You don’t have to preach a sermon or write a book. Start small. Share a verse, a prayer, a listening ear. Let your life be a testimony that says, “If He did it for me, He can do it for you too.”

Journal Prompts

    1. Who has been a “hope carrier” in your recovery journey, and how did God use them to encourage you?
    2. Where might God be calling you to share your story of victory — even in small ways?
    3. Which principle from these 12 steps do you feel most called to live out in front of others this week?

✨ Final Call to Action:
Beloved sister, you are never alone in this journey. Keep walking in victory, keep leaning on His grace, and keep sharing the hope you’ve found. The world is waiting for your story. 💖

🌸 Worship Moment 🎶

As we close out our journey through the Twelve Steps to Victory, let this worship song be a joyful declaration of what God has done in us — and a reminder to share His goodness with the world. The song “So So Good” by Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake, and Elevation Worship captures the heart of Step Twelve: celebrating God’s never–ending goodness and testifying that His love has carried us through.

Take a few moments to worship, rejoice, and let your spirit be filled with gratitude. May this song fuel your desire to share His hope and victory with others. ✨🙌💖

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MY VICTORY VERSES || Hope Fills Me with Joy & Peace

In MY VICTORY VERSES, we will explore key Bible verses that have shaped my life recovery journey since 2005. After sharing how these verses impacted me, we will dive into their meaning and how they bring lasting victory. This column publishes on the 3rd Friday of each month in 2025.

There’s a quiet strength in this verse that has steadied me for many years—ever since 2008, when an unexpected job transition once again turned our lives upside down. I remember clinging to Romans 15:13 like a lifeline, reading it over and over until it soaked deep into my heart.

My Life Application Study Bible notes say, “Paul gives confident assurance to his readers by reminding them that God gives us our hope. We cannot create or talk ourselves into this kind of hope on our own. God gives it as a gift of the Holy Spirit… With hope, God gives us joy right now as we anticipate what He has ahead for us and as we have the privilege of doing His work and will day by day. We have peace as we rest in the assurance that God will do as He has promised.”

That truth is so freeing — hope isn’t something I have to muster up or manufacture. It’s not a positive pep talk or wishful thinking. It is a divine gift, given by the God of hope Himself. And with that gift comes joy for the present moment and peace for the days ahead.

Day before yesterday, I spent time meditating on this passage again. These days, my life’s direction isn’t always crystal clear. I know my role is to support my husband in his work, but I sometimes wrestle with questions about my own calling and next steps. When I can’t see the full picture, Romans 15:13 reminds me that I don’t need to have every answer—what I need is to trust the One who does.

Over the years, I’ve personalized this verse into a first-person confession I can speak over my life:

“The Lord of hope fills me with all joy and peace as I trust in Him. I overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Recently, I rewrote it in a way that speaks even more directly to my responsibility in the process:

“The Lord of hope fills me with all joy and peace. As I trust in Him, I overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

That small change shifts my focus. My part is to trust God. His part is to fill me, by the Spirit’s power, with overflowing hope.

Another verse that pairs beautifully with this one is Zechariah 9:12 (NKJV): “Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.” Being a “prisoner of hope” means I’m bound to it—anchored to God’s promises no matter what.

Hope doesn’t just help me endure; it fills me with joy and peace today. It shapes my outlook, steadies my steps, and keeps my heart leaning toward what God has ahead.

When I think about the overflowing hope Romans 15:13 describes, my heart can’t help but leap with joy—just like the song Glorious Day proclaims. This powerful anthem reminds us of the moment Christ called our name and brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light. It’s a celebration of new life, freedom, and the unshakable hope we have in Him.