I have started reading Jeremiah Burroughs' "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment", with Tim Challies, and a large group of others from around the world.
I have never been fond of the word contentment.
Somewhere, in my worldview, I equated contentment with settling for less. If you were content, then you were the type of person who didn't dream big, and chase after those dreams. You were simply content where you are. You gave up the chase.
Paul, in Philippians 4:11 said, "for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." In fact, here are a string of New Testament verses holding forth great gain in contentment.
Burroughs: "Contentment is to be learned as a great mystery,
and those who are thoroughly trained in this art, which is like
Samson's riddle to a natural man, have learned a deep mystery."
OK. I am up for learning a great mystery from God. But I do have to admit, I am just on the tail-end of learning to "wait on God", and now I need to learn to be content?
Burroughs answer: "That to be well skilled in the mystery of Christian contentment is the duty, glory and excellence of a Christian."
"But I don't want to give up on my dreams", to which Burroughs replies, "David, you got it wrong. Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition."
Ah, so I don't give up on my dreams, I am to freely submit to God's wise, and fatherly will. That I can do, as he knows my dreams, and actually, he put them there in the first place.
Sign me up!
If you would like to join us, simply click the links at the top of this blog post, and come on along!
