On Irish Folk, Ancient Writ, and Contentment

I love theological Irish folk.

Oswald Chambers is such a fellow. His wife (who was a stenographer) was so kind as to listen and record all of Chambers’ classroom devotions (for he was a professor) that he would begin each class with. She took 365 of these (how many she actually complied is unknown) and created a wonderful little daily devotional entitled My Utmost for His Highest. You can get it for yourself at http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=89144&p=1013347#curr

In today’s devotion Chambers said:
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“The great difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and it is His blessings that make it difficult. Troubles nearly always make us look to God; His blessings are apt to make us look elsewhere. The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is, in effect—Narrow all your interests until the attitude of mind and heart and body is concentration on Jesus Christ.”

Such is timely advice for me. Lexie and I worked out a new budget the other night that included the additional earnings from my new job. I’m ashamed to remember how excited having money made me. Feelings of security and comfort knocked at the gates of my heart, and I would’ve let them in had not the Holy Spirit quickened my mind to guard my heart from letting them through.

That is not the only burglar that has come visiting either. As of late, some more subtle foes, covetousness and discontentment, have been causing me some grief. These always travel together, so if you begin to dislike something you have that causes you a little frustration, but generally works, watch out. You might soon find yourself coveting.

For me, it’s this computer I’m using right now. I want to get the new Apple MacBook, but as you can see, my computer is working just fine. Sure, it can no longer read CDs, Freezes up 90% of the time, whimsically kicks me off the internet, fails to recognize printers, cameras, and MP3 players on rainy days, gets “the hiccups” (wherein everything stops for 5 seconds for every 30 seconds), remains in rebellion against all media players (Windows Media Player, Real Player, Adobe Media Player, Quick Time, iTunes, Flash Media Player, WinAmp, etc.), won’t shut down, and randomly shuts down without warning, BUT, nevertheless, it still turns on. So, although it does require patience, it still works and I should be content. I should be content having no computer at all. Therefore, how much more content should I be since I have a computer? Very content.

You know, I am content, but I can tell you confidently that it is only by God’s grace. Are you grasping after God’s grace? Are you content?

Here is the passage that Lexie and I are memorizing with our small group at TCC:

“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,
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.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,
to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:6-16)

For contentment in Christ, I greatly encourage that you hide these words in your heart as well.