Need for Contentment

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content…I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (rf. Php. 4:11, 13 ESV)

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”

 (rf. I Tim. 6:6-8 ESV)

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (rf. Heb. 13:5 ESV)

            Contentment. I confess that, especially in my formative years and in my genetic makeup, this was a concept I found particularly hard to grasp, much less to put into action. You see, I grew up in a household that moved around and outside the state of Georgia eight times between my birth and my entrance into 4^th grade due to the demands of my father’s job with the Georgia Power Company and his time in the U.S. Air Force. Added to this was my mother’s penchant for changing things in the house on a regular basis, moving around bedrooms as well as making countless adjustments to the location of furniture and accessories. My growing up years were in one sense a constant flow of change.

            As I reached my adulthood, having the itch for change was something that was very difficult to overcome. If it wasn’t a pursuance of “better pastures”, it was surely having a great aversion of things remaining the same, of being stagnant or static. This powerful innate force of nature would reveal itself through banal things such as rearranging items around my office, relocating bookstore displays, etc. every month or so (for which I have as a constant reminder the scar from the back surgery that resulted from such an endeavor) to praying that the Lord would move us to another place of ministry because things didn’t measure up to my expectations in my present location. This need for change of circumstances and surroundings was a constant companion. 

            I would be a liar if I shared that this particular beast has totally been overcome and tamed within me. I still struggle with it. The longer things remain stable and unchanged, the stronger the “yelling” from that part of me grows.

            When I say the following, I assure you I mean it with all of my being. Only in the Lord by His grace and power am I able to daily keep this potent influence at bay and under subjection. He has been teaching me, slowly but surely, His truth about contentment. When I feel the urge to want more or to pursue a course of great change in my life, He reminds me that it was the Father’s will and plan that kept Him on the correct path, that, while all of His physical needs were being met by God, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has (or had) nowhere to lay his head” (rf. Matt. 8:20 ESV). Jesus was content to fulfill His mission for the Father without any thought of His daily provision. This should be my same ambition. This is the rightful definition of the contentment He desires for all of His people to practice.

            Change is and will always be a necessary part of life. The seasons of the year reveal themselves differently as time progresses forward, as do the seasons of life. Change should not be feared of itself when it comes but embraced along with the lessons accompanying it. Sometimes those within Christ’s Church are the very ones who have the hardest time with change, largely because we have not really accepted or believed in the sovereignty of God over our lives. However, He wants His people to be open to the changes that He brings, knowing that His change has with it our spiritual growth and the increase in our faith that we should always desire. 

            The balance that I have at present is that, if I am doing what I am supposed to in fulfillment of God’s will for my life and that of my family, then I should be content to continue in it until He should disclose a different path for me to follow. If I need to change the location of furniture or pictures to fulfill that inner “hankering” for a difference, that is fine. He doesn’t mind such variety in our lives. However, He wants us to trust in Him as Lord and to leave to Him the paths of this journey and the experiences along the way, being accepting of the change that comes implicitly with such. He desires for us to experience His peace while we release ourselves completely into His care. He has promised to take care of us as His people, assuming total control over our circumstances so that He can better mold and make us “into the image of His Son” (rf. Rom. 8:29 ESV). 

            May we seek and pray for this attitude of contentment for ourselves, having absolute trust in His provision, direction and sustenance as touching all of our needs.

Pandemic Encouragement

^“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday…Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling…” 

(rf. Ps. 91:1-6, 9-10 NKJV)

            With all of the concern and consternation that we have all experienced over the past few months regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, I believed that it was time for some well-needed encouragement from God’s Word. We have endured the trials of “social distancing” and the closure of businesses, restaurants, sporting events and venues, along with our educational institutions. We have had to suspend our church gatherings and plans while continuing to connect via our online presence through our website and Facebook page. It would seem that much has been lost due to this virus and the perils it has brought with it. However, the psalmist gives us tremendous hope in the midst of such crisis. 

            The psalmist reminds us at the outset that our hope lies in living or dwelling “in the secret place of the Most High (God)” (vs. 1) and in the shadow of His wings (or “His feathers”—vs. 4, figuratively speaking, of course). The Lord is portrayed here as an eagle protecting his children by having them hide under the cover of his wings. Because of that position under His protection, the psalmist tells his readers that they have no reason to fear, though the enemy send “terror by night” or even “destruction by day” (vs. 5-6). Even when “pestilence” enters the picture, the Lord is still upholding His people, giving them the courage to go on in the midst of such danger, promising to them that “no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling” (vs. 10).

            This is a promise of God to be with His people through every possible circumstance that we may face, even those that are life-threatening. This sense of peace, comfort and assurance comes from having that enduring relationship with the Lord, trusting in Him to be our “refuge” and our “dwelling place”, the One who can keep us under His protection always (vs. 9). 

            It is said that when a plague broke out in London during the pastoral tenure of C.H. Spurgeon, he was initially afraid to go out on the streets to minister to his flock for fear of contracting the deadly, devasting illness. However, while endeavoring to make those important pastoral visits, he saw a sign in a store window that disclosed these same verses from Psalm 91. From that point forward, he went on to fulfill his ministerial duties, assured that the Lord would keep him safe amidst the troubled times. 

            There is also one of my favorite quotes from the famous general of the Confederate armies, Stonewall Jackson. Having studied his life at length, I have always been in awe of his faith in the Lord, trusting in Him no matter the circumstances. When asked by a junior officer about this constant assurance in the heat of battle, Jackson replied, “My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to always be ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would equally brave.”

            Indeed, if we have the same faith in the Lord as did Jackson, Spurgeon and the psalmist, we will and would be able to endure all manner of events, good and bad, knowing that He will always be faithful to us as His people. As we go forward into a different and uncertain future, let our trust not be in the situation but in the One who is sovereign and ruler over all. Only in Him is the peace to continue and to conquer.