Christianity, Contentment, Life
In Christian Life on March 27, 2009 at 6:41 am
I gave a talk one morning not long ago on the idea of contentment (cf. Heb 13:5-6). The dictionary definition of contentment is to be satisfied, desiring no more than what one has. It is the opposite of coveting, or the lust of the eyes.
How many people have contentment in this world? It seems few have this rare and precious jewel. Divorce, sexual obsessions, drug problems, materialism, crime, the self-help movement – all these seem to testify to the fact that we lack contentment.
Many people have recognized the benefits of contentment. Socrates said, “He is the richest who is content with the least.” “He is well paid that is well satisfied” (Shakespeare). The Apostle Paul even wrote that “…godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). So, how does one cultivate a life of contentment? Here are some ideas:
-Trust in God’s providence. He will provide for all your needs.
-Know that you can’t take any material thing with you after you leave this life.
-Realize what is truly essential for life (food, clothing, shelter) & be thankful to God for anything above and beyond.
-Understand that material things do not truly satisfy the deepest longings of the soul.
-Understand that contentment is a gift from God (Phil. 4:11-13)
But seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness and all these things will be added to you-Matt. 6:33
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For further reading on the subject of contentment, check out The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment at the Deus Tecum bookstore.
Christianity, Easter Season
In Christian Life on February 25, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Occasionally this time of year, I’ll see students at the university where I work with an ash cross on their foreheads. Why do they do this? Bad hygiene?
Today is Ash Wednesday and it has been traditionally set aside by many churches as a day of repentance and fasting. It occurs 40 days before Easter (not counting Sundays) and marks the beginning of a 40-day period called Lent, a season of fasting and prayer before Easter. A pastor marks a person’s forehead with ash in the sign of a cross, ash being the biblical sign of sorrow and repentance (e.g., David, Daniel, Job, etc.). Traditionally, the pastor will recite Genesis 3:19 as he makes the ashen cross (“for you are dust, and to dust you shall return”) as a way for a person to reflect on their frail humanity and his or her need for Christ.
Protestant groups that follow this tradition include some Presbyterians, Lutherans, Wesleyans, and even some churches within the Free church movement. Other protestant groups protest the practice, believing it should be an inward, not outward, practice. They often cite Matt. 6:16-18 in their argument:
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Should you observe Ash Wednesday? It really is a matter of individual consceince. There is nothing wrong with reflecting on one’s sinfulness or fasting, but the practice should not point merely inward, but should ultimately point to Christ. The writer of Hebrews reminds of this when he encourages us to look “to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). As with any practice or tradition, Christ should be the center.
Christian Life, Christianity
In Christian Life on February 23, 2009 at 6:47 am
O God, I have tasted Your goodness,
and it has both satisfied me
and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of
my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God, I want to want You;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Your glory, I pray,
so I may know You indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…
Give me grace to rise and follow You
up from this misty lowland
where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
- A. W. Tozer
