Posted on by jwlozano

What Do We Really Need?

One of the most quoted verses in the entire book of Philippians is found near the very end.

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

It’s one of those verses we love to encourage people with. Someone loses a job. Someone is struggling financially. Someone doesn’t know how they’re going to pay the bills. We quickly remind them, “God will supply all your needs.”

And He absolutely will.

But this week, as I slowly worked through Philippians chapter four, I noticed something I had overlooked before. Paul didn’t write those words in isolation. He wrote them after thanking the Philippian church for their incredible generosity.

Throughout the chapter, Paul reminds them that they had cared for him when others didn’t. They had supported his ministry. They had sacrificially given to meet his needs. They had sent gifts through Epaphroditus because they cared more about God’s work than simply holding on to what they had.

Paul even says that their gifts were “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”

Then comes verse 19.

“My God shall supply all your needs…”

In other words, Paul is reminding generous believers that the God they had trusted with their own resources would also faithfully care for them. It’s not a random promise disconnected from the surrounding passage. It’s part of a conversation about generosity, trust, and God’s faithful provision.

That reminded me of another passage I’ve been thinking about lately.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus tells His followers not to worry about what they will eat, what they will drink, or what they will wear. He points to the birds. He points to the flowers. If God faithfully takes care of His creation, how much more will He care for His children? Then Jesus says,

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

I circled the words “these things” in my Bible this week.

What are “these things”?

Food. Clothing. Daily provision.

Jesus wasn’t promising unlimited comfort or every luxury we could imagine. He was promising that our heavenly Father knows exactly what we need. That’s an important distinction. Somewhere along the way, we’ve started confusing needs with wants. Our culture is constantly telling us we need more.

Your car is working just fine?

You need a newer one.

Your house comfortably fits your family?

You need something bigger.

Your phone is only two years old?

Time for an upgrade.

Every advertisement whispers the same message:

“What you have isn’t enough.”

But when we stop and honestly make a list of our true needs, it isn’t nearly as long as we think.

We need Jesus.

We need forgiveness.

We need food.

We need shelter.

We need clothing.

We need people who love us.

We need the strength to do what God has called us to do.

Everything else may be a blessing, but it isn’t necessarily a need. I think that’s why contentment can be so difficult. When we convince ourselves that our wants are actually needs, we’ll constantly feel like God is withholding something from us. But when we recognize how much He has already provided, gratitude begins to replace disappointment.

I also thought about another verse people often quote:

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

When I was younger, I tended to read that as God giving me everything I wanted. The older I get, the more I believe something even better happens. As I delight myself in Him, He begins changing what I desire. The closer my heart grows to His, the more my desires begin to look like His desires. That’s a much greater gift than simply getting everything I ask for.

As we finish our study through Philippians, I think that’s one of the biggest lessons Paul leaves us with.

Contentment doesn’t come from having more.

It comes from trusting the One who already knows exactly what we need. The greatest proof that God is willing to provide wasn’t a paycheck, a promotion, or even answered prayer. It was the cross. Before we ever asked Him for anything, He gave us His Son. If God was willing to meet our greatest need through Jesus Christ, we can trust Him with every other need that comes our way.

That doesn’t mean life will always be easy. Sometimes we really do face genuine needs. Health concerns. Financial hardships. Seasons where we don’t know how everything is going to work out. Those moments are real. But they don’t change God’s character. Our Father knows what we need before we even ask. He invites us to seek His kingdom first, trust His heart, and rest in the promise that He will faithfully provide exactly what His children need.

Maybe today, instead of focusing on what you wish you had, spend a few moments thanking God for what He’s already provided. You may discover that you’ve been surrounded by His provision all along.

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Posted on by jwlozano

A Life Worthy of the Gospel

One verse from this week’s study in Philippians really stood out to me:

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27, NIV)

Paul wrote those words from prison.

He wasn’t writing from a place of comfort or convenience. He wasn’t writing during a season when everything was going according to plan. Yet his focus wasn’t on his circumstances. His focus was on how believers should live regardless of their circumstances.

As we worked through Philippians chapters 1 and 2, one theme kept appearing over and over again: personal responsibility.

Paul reminds us that as followers of Christ, we are representatives of the gospel. We are ambassadors for Jesus. The way we speak, the way we treat people, the attitudes we carry, and the words we choose all communicate something about the Savior we claim to follow.

In Philippians 2:5, Paul writes:

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

He goes on to describe Christ’s humility, His willingness to serve, and His obedience to the Father. Then later in the chapter, Paul gives a very practical instruction:

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” (Philippians 2:14-15, NIV)

Those verses feel especially relevant today.

We live in a culture where criticism is common, complaints are constant, and everyone seems to have an opinion about everything. It’s easy to get swept into that mindset. It’s easy to join the conversation, add our two cents, and echo the negativity around us.

But Paul calls believers to something different.

Recently, I heard pastor and author Carey Nieuwhof say, “The culture needs an alternative to itself, not an echo of itself.” That statement immediately reminded me of Philippians.

That statement immediately reminded me of Philippians.

The world already has plenty of criticism. Plenty of anger. Plenty of complaining.

What people are looking for is something different. They are looking for hope. They are looking for grace. They are looking for kindness. They are looking for people who respond differently because Christ has changed them.

As believers, we have an opportunity every day to show the world what Jesus is like.

We can reflect His humility.

We can reflect His patience.

We can reflect His kindness.

Or we can simply blend in with everyone else.

Lately, I’ve been trying to put this into practice in my own life. Sometimes I’ll see someone doing something differently than I would do it. Maybe it’s a ministry, an organization, or a person making a decision I wouldn’t make. My first thought might be to critique it.

But then I’m reminded: if God hasn’t called me to lead that ministry, run that organization, or make that decision, perhaps my role is not to criticize but to encourage, pray, and trust Him.

Not every opinion needs to be spoken.

Not every criticism needs to be shared.

Not every disagreement needs to become an argument.

Paul’s challenge to the Philippians is the same challenge for us today: live a life worthy of the gospel.

Whether things are going well or poorly.

Whether circumstances are easy or difficult.

Whether people agree with us or not.

May our words, attitudes, and actions point people to Christ.

And may we shine brightly in a world that desperately needs to see Him.

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Posted on by jwlozano

Finding Contentment Close to Home

This week, I am starting a study through the book of Philippians, and something happened that made me stop and think about one of the book’s central themes: contentment.

I went for a three-mile walk along Lake Michigan. When I finished, I grabbed a blanket that I’ve decided to start keeping in my car, spread it out on the beach, opened my book, and spent some time reading by the water. The sun was shining, the breeze was perfect, and the sound of the waves made it feel like I was miles away on vacation.

I even took a picture because, at a glance, it looked like I had traveled somewhere special.

The reality? I was less than fifteen minutes from my house.

As I sat there, I realized something. Last summer, I barely came to the beach at all. Not because I didn’t enjoy it. Not because it wasn’t beautiful. Life was simply busy, and I overlooked something that was available to me all along.

People drive hours to visit this beach. Some save money and plan vacations around places like this. Yet there have been seasons when I didn’t take advantage of something sitting practically in my own backyard.

It reminded me how easy it is to overlook the blessings right in front of us.

We often think joy is waiting somewhere else. We tell ourselves we’ll be happy when we get the next thing, reach the next goal, take the next trip, buy the next item, or finally arrive at whatever destination we’ve set for ourselves. But sometimes the beauty we’re searching for is much closer than we realize.

As I sat there reading, I couldn’t help but think about Philippians.

One of the most life-changing passages in that book for me is when Paul writes that he has learned the secret of being content in every circumstance. In a culture that constantly encourages us to consume more, buy more, achieve more, and chase more, those words feel incredibly countercultural.

Over the years, I’ve learned that contentment isn’t found in having everything I want. It’s found in recognizing everything I’ve already been given.

I’ve never been especially materialistic. Shopping has never been my favorite pastime, and accumulating more things has never brought me much satisfaction. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more aware of where true contentment comes from.

My contentment is found in Christ.

It’s found in knowing who He is, what He has done, and what He has already provided.

As we begin studying Philippians, we’ll encounter some of the most quoted verses in Scripture. Verses like, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

But I think it’s important that we understand what Paul is actually teaching. So often we define our needs through the lens of our culture. We begin to expect things that Scripture never promises because we’ve confused wants with needs.

The world tells us that contentment is found in getting more.

Scripture tells us that contentment is found in Christ.

That’s why passages like Romans 12 remind us not to be conformed to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. And that’s why I love what Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3, that God “has given us everything required for life and godliness.”

Think about that.

Everything we need.

Why?

Because He has given us Himself. He has given us His Son. He has given us salvation, grace, mercy, purpose, hope, and the promise of eternity.

The more we understand that truth, the more we begin to recognize that contentment isn’t found in what we’re lacking. It’s found in appreciating what we’ve already received.

So over the next few weeks, I’ll be walking through the book of Philippians one chapter at a time. My hope isn’t to provide a deep theological commentary, but simply to share what God is teaching me as I study His Word.

And maybe it starts with a simple reminder from a beach fifteen minutes from home:

Sometimes the blessings we’ve been searching for are already right in front of us. We just need to slow down long enough to see them.

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