True Contentment / Guest Post by Ben Johnson

I used to chase hockey, success, and performance. And for a while, they filled me - until they didn’t. Have you ever felt like something was missing, even when everything looked good on the outside? I have. Some days, I’m full of purpose. Other days, I feel completely drained. But through all of it I’ve found a peace and strength that doesn’t come from achievement. It comes from Jesus.“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10, ESV)

That kind of peace comes from knowing who I am in God’s eyes. It’s not about chasing a feeling, it’s about standing on truth. The fire in me to keep going, to keep showing up, even when I feel empty, that’s not from me. That’s from Him. Are you connected to that source? Have you received the life only He can give? Because there’s nothing confusing about it. It just takes surrender. So what’s holding you back from trusting Him fully?

The Bible tells us that everything was created through Jesus and for Him. “All things were created through Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16, ESV) That includes you. Your life isn’t random. You’re not just floating through life hoping to find your why. Your purpose is rooted in Him. My brother in Christ, Gary Steffes, often says, "Changed identity leads to changed behavior." If we really believe Jesus rose from the dead, why do we live like He didn’t? Life is hard, and we all struggle but that’s exactly why we need to stay close to Jesus. When we disconnect, we feel it. But when we walk with Him, when we live forgiven, who has more reason to be joyful than us?

Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV) This is a wake-up call. If you’re still trying to do life your own way, ask yourself: is it working? Does it bring peace? The world around us says, “Do what feels right.” But feelings don’t have the final word. Jesus gave everything for us. The way to true life is narrow, but it’s wide open to anyone who says yes to Him.

After prison, God gave me a burden to speak to people who are lost, especially in the hockey world. I’m not above anyone. I’ve been in the darkness. I was lost. And now, by God’s mercy, I walk in light. That’s why I keep going. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3, ESV) I want to keep growing, not through my own lens, but through God’s mercy. I want to see people the way He does. I want to live by His truth not just my opinions or what culture dictates.

I know what it’s like to be anxious, emotionally stuck, and weighed down by guilt. Maybe you do too. But Jesus changed everything for me and He can do the same for you. Why did God choose to meet me in a prison cell? Why did He give me a Bible when I was least deserving? I can’t answer that fully. But I believe it’s because He wanted me to know Christ’s death was not in vain. And maybe the trials you’re facing right now are part of your refining process too. God does that. He works through pain. He meets us in our brokenness and doesn’t leave us there.

The gospel is real. It changes lives. That’s why I won’t stop sharing it. Here’s what I know now with full confidence: the way to heaven is through Jesus. It’s not complicated, but it’s costly. It’s narrow but it’s full of freedom. Forgiveness comes through faith. And faith? That’s a gift that grows in us when we walk with Him. “With His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, ESV)

So let me leave you with a question: Are you trying to earn God’s favor or are you learning to receive His grace? When we read the Bible like a child, humbly and honestly, we begin to see things clearly. The battles we fight? We win not because of our strength, but because Jesus already won. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17, ESV)

If you’ve tasted His grace, you won’t need to prove it. Your life will overflow with it. The people around you will see it. And if you already trust Jesus, be encouraged. Nothing can stop the gospel from growing, not even concrete. You could smash an acorn into pavement a thousand times and see nothing. But plant it underneath? Over time, it breaks through. That’s what the gospel does in us.

Jesus said it. That settles it. And you can walk in that truth today.

“…this same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere—just as it does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.” (Colossians 1:6, ESV)