The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment<\/a>, <\/i>Chapter 2)<\/p>\nThat\u2019s contentment: \u201cMy people shall be satisfied with My goodness.\u201d If we have Him, we have all that we need. If we have Him, we have all that we should desire.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Is It Wrong Then to Desire the Things of This World? <\/b><\/p>\n
Many philosophers over the centuries have argued that it is wrong to desire the things of this world. Someone once asked the Greek philosopher Socrates who was the wealthiest man. His reply: “He who is content with the least – for self-sufficiency is nature’s wealth.” (Socrates uses here the same Greek word we\u2019ve been considering.)<\/p>\n
Epictetus, who lived shortly after the time of Christ (50 to 138AD), wrote, \u201cDestroy desire completely.\u201d And Epictetus, though not a Christian, unfortunately influenced later Christian thinking. His message is: Don\u2019t desire the things of this world at all.<\/p>\n
Does the Bible teach the same?<\/p>\n
Coveting vs Desire<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nConsider the 10 Commandments. We are commanded not to steal; we are commanded not to covet. Does that mean that we are to stifle all desire?<\/p>\n
No. As God\u2019s child, God has given you Himself. That never changes. At this moment, <\/b>at every moment, He gives you all you need to fulfill His purposes. So you don\u2019t need to steal to obtain what you need.<\/p>\n
Thus, when soldiers come to John the Baptist, asking what they should do now that they have repented, he replies, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). God has provided them with wages. So they are to be content. Be satisfied. They are not to think they need to take what belongs to another in order to be happy.<\/p>\n
And this holds for the future as well as for the present. The 8th<\/sup> Commandment, \u201cDo not steal,\u201d focuses on the present. The 10th<\/sup> Commandment, \u201cDo not covet what belongs to your neighbor,\u201d focuses on the future. If you are in Christ, you are God\u2019s child. He will give you all you need in the future to fulfill His purposes. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will never abandon you. So don\u2019t look at what another person has and think, \u201cI should have that instead of him. I deserve that instead of him. If only I had what he had, I would be happy. If only I had what he has, I could do great things for God.\u201d Instead, rejoice wwith those who rejoice! Rejoice that God has been good to them, confident that the same God is<\/i> good to you \u2013 even in your lack. Confident that the same God can and will work through you for His glory, whatever you might think you lack.<\/p>\nSo we are never to lose our joy because someone else has joy. That\u2019s a terrible sin. We are never to hold our own joy hostage to our receiving some good, or some relationship.<\/p>\n
But this is very different from saying, \u201cDestroy Desire completely.\u201d<\/p>\n
How can we have good, biblical desires, and yet not covet?<\/p>\n
Contentment and Holy Dissatisfaction<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nBiblical Contentment is consistent with strong desire on our part. Consider again the commandments, \u201cDo not steal,\u201d and \u201cDo not covet.\u201d Neither commandment tells us, \u201cNever desire what your neighbor has. \u201d Rather, if what your neighbor has is good for you and is to God\u2019s glory, and if you can obtain it in a God-honoring way, work for it! Earn it! That\u2019s one of the purposes of work. Be content today <\/i>in what you have, and strive to earn that good tomorrow. When tomorrow comes:<\/p>\n\n- if you\u2019ve earned it and obtained the object of your desire, thank God.<\/li>\n
- If you haven\u2019t been able to earn it, still be content in the present, and consider whether you should continue to work for it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2 Corinthians 12 gives us an example of such a desire from the life of the Apostle Paul. Verse 7 speaks of a \u201cthorn in the flesh\u201d that Paul had – evidently some disease. He writes:<\/p>\n
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.\u00a0 [That is, he desired to be healed. And there is nothing wrong with that desire. But God\u2019s answer is, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/i>] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.\u00a0 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)<\/p>\n
Prior to Paul\u2019s prayer in verse 8, did he know that God\u2019s grace was sufficient? Surely He did. But he did not know he would have to live out that truth in the case of this disease. His desire for healing was right. But when God said, \u201cNo, I will not heal you \u2013 I have better plans,\u201d Paul was content.<\/p>\n
Just so with us. When we are weak, when we seem ineffective, when we are lacking, our desires for change are good. We desire change so that we can be more effective for God\u2019s glory. But God in His sovereign wisdom may use that very weakness, that very ineffectiveness for His purposes. If so, we can be content with being God\u2019s child. We have Him. We have His power. That is enough. We can be content.<\/p>\n
Thus, being content is consistent with having a holy dissatisfaction:<\/p>\n
\n- I can have a holy dissatisfaction that I don\u2019t know Him better, and yet be content in my personal relationship w Him (consider Paul in Philippians 3)<\/li>\n
- I can have a holy dissatisfaction that my neighbors, friends, family, and all the nations don\u2019t know Him, and strive to bring that about, yet be joyful and content in Him<\/li>\n
- I can have a holy dissatisfaction in thinking marriage would be for my good and God\u2019s glory, and yet remain content in Him while single<\/li>\n
- I can have a holy dissatisfaction in thinking that raising children would be good for me, good for my marriage, good for the children, and for God\u2019s glory, and yet remain content in Him while childless<\/li>\n
- I can be content with the food and covering I have, and yet have a holy dissatisfaction in thinking what more I could do for my good, the good of my family, and the glory of God if I had more income<\/li>\n
- I can be content with my job or my lack of a job, and yet have a holy dissatisfaction with my skills and abilities not being used, and thus actively seek ways to use those skills for my good, the good of my family, and the glory of God.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Holy dissatisfaction is a gift. It spurs us on to work harder, to strive with all His energy that powerfully works in us (Colossians 1:29). God gives us these longings, these desires.<\/p>\n
But in the midst of these longings, we are to be content. For we already have Him \u2013 whatever else we might lack.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3. Channeling Our Desires Godward<\/b><\/p>\n
Think of your desires as a raging river. There\u2019s a lot of energy in that river, a lot of power. That energy and power can be harnessed for good. But that same energy and power can wreak tremendous destruction if it overflows the banks.<\/p>\n
We have to dredge a deep channel for our desires in a Godward direction,<\/p>\n
\n- so that our desires do not turn into coveting<\/li>\n
- so that our longings do not transform into lack of contentment<\/li>\n
- so that our passions result in God\u2019s glory rather than His dishonor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How do we do this? How do we channel our desires?<\/p>\n
Consider these three maxims:<\/p>\n
a) Keep reminding yourself of the identity, security, and joy you have in God. Contentment is the fruit <\/i>of finding these three in God. Meditate on the Scriptures we have looked at in those first three sermons. Pick some to memorize. Praise God daily as your Father; praise Him for faithfulness; meditate on Him as your joy.<\/p>\n
b) Pray for singleness of purpose and purity of desires. Fight the fight to believe that what God says is true. Pray specifically psalm 119:36, \u201cIncline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!\u201d<\/p>\n
The fight here is similar to the fight to be faithful to your spouse in marriage<\/a>. I must cultivate a desire for Beth, and for her alone. If I find my eyes wandering, I must remember who she is \u2013 her love, her character \u2013 I must remember the joys we have shared. I must remember our covenant promises. And I must remember God\u2019s promise of provision. I must not downplay the importance of such wandering eyes \u2013 I should call it lust, call it adultery (Matthew 5:27-30). Instead, I should dig the channel of sexual passion deep in her direction.<\/p>\nJust so: If I find my desires wandering to the things of this world instead of godward, if I begin to feel as if I can\u2019t be happy without obtaining some good or some relationship, I must not downplay it. I should call it spiritual adultery. I should call it idolatry. So I must fight the fight to believe. I must remember who God is, who He has revealed Himself to be. I must remember His love, the joy that can be mine in Him. I must remember His covenant promises, and my own commitment to Him. I dig the channel of desire deep in His direction.<\/p>\n
c) Act consistently with that singleness of purpose, and then pray that \u00a0your affections and desires would follow your actions. Sometimes the right desires simply aren\u2019t there. In such cases \u2013 act out of duty. Act as if you had the right affections and desires for God. Duty is a crutch. A healthy person shouldn\u2019t go hobbling around on crutches. That’s foolish. But when your leg is broken, praise God for crutches! Just so, we sometimes need the crutch of duty. In my experience, often when I act out of duty, God grants the right affections while I am in the midst of dutifully obeying.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Conclusion: <\/b><\/p>\n
We often sing, \u201cYou are my only worth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Can you sing that without lying?<\/p>\n
As long as we are in this world, we will face temptations to find worth elsewhere. So pray, \u201cFather, use the truth of Your Word to channel my desires toward You today. Enable me to fight the fight of faith to find contentment in You alone today. I desire to desire you. Answer my prayer, O Father!\u201d<\/p>\n
So sing such lines as your aspiration, as your hope, as a true statement about God\u2019s worth which you long to be true in your heart.<\/p>\n
For there is no lasting joy, no genuine security, no true identity apart from Him. We are created to delight in Him, and nothing else will satisfy. To reject Him is to reject your very purpose, and will be the destruction of your joy.<\/p>\n
So come to Christ for cleansing.\u00a0 Confess your rebellion, your seeking contentment elsewhere. He promises acceptance \u2013 indeed, He promises that He\u2019s been the one drawing you all along.<\/p>\n
So repent \u2013 come to Him \u2013 and find true contentment in Him. \u201cMy people shall be satisfied with My goodness.\u201d May that be true in each one of us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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