One of the first pranks pulled on a new non-qual on board a submarine, is the dreaded search for a left handed spinner wrench.  While the old timers know that one does not exist, the newbie searches the boat trying to find the elusive item.  After hours of gut wrenching looking, someone tells them that it is just a wrench.  The newbie understands he was had.  Everyone else is laughing.

 

Whether we want to admit it or not, we spend our lives searching for that non-existent item that we need in our lives.  Maybe it is happiness, security, knowledge, or a left handed spinner wrench.   We search only to be disappointed at each turn.

 

Paul wrote that he learned to be content in any situation.  There are so many things that we think we need to live that do not help us in the long term.  But Paul’s words are long term.  The ability to be at peace during any situation or lack thereof, can not be under estimated.  Sometimes the situation helps define our purpose in God’s will.  There are times, we learn and grow weeding out bad behavior or habits that hurt our lives and relationships. 

 

However, we must learn to rely on God and his peace.