Is it too small a thing?

I have a really good introduction for this article.  I tell you a really funny story about a toy, gadget, etc. that I really wanted because I knew that it would solve all of my problems.  It was one of those things that I absolutely had to have. 

In this really good introduction I explain how I worked hard to get this new toy/gadget; either through actually working or “working” the way that jobless kids do--by figuring out how to manufacture the right balance of enough, tears, whining, and solid behavior to merit such an awesome gift. 

I continue in this super amazing introduction for a couple paragraphs explaining my hard labor only to drop the bomb on you in paragraph six.  When I finally brought home the world-saving, Mike changing, product I soon discover that it is really a piece of junk.  Kind of like that disappointing moment when you realize your McDonalds cheeseburger isn’t nearly as scrumptious as its savory picture.  No matter how awesome it really is it can never live up to the dream that I had created for it. 

Unfortunately, for both you and I, I cannot give you this introduction.  And I don’t know why.  I know that this little story has replayed a million times but for the life of me I cannot remember these products that brought such disappointment into my life.  Maybe if I ransacked my closets or took a perusal of the local Goodwill one of these treasures would present itself to my memory, because that is where these life-changers now find themselves: in the land of misfit toys. 

Perhaps that in itself is telling.  The grass is always greener on the other side, McDonalds cheeseburgers are more photogenic than tasty, and nothing satisfies a discontented heart. 

Consider Korah’s rebellion. 

Korah and a few of his friends gather together to complain to Moses and Aaron about what they don’t have.  What they do not have Moses and Aaron have.  They quickly assess themselves—comparing their greatest features to the worst of Moses and Aaron—and come to the startling conclusion that they deserve this one thing that they lack.  Cue the spotlights, drums, and angelic sounds as we pan to their longed for possession—the priesthood. 

Moses gets to the heart when he says in verse 9, “…is it too small a thing for you…”  Here he lists off everything they do have (it takes two verses to finish this list).  Of course Korah and his homeboys are blind to this list because their eyes are fixed on the one thing they don’t have. 

So, yeah, apparently it is too small a thing to be separated from the rest of the congregation by the Lord, to be brought near to God himself, to do ministry, to serve the Lord before the great congregation, and to be able to do it with your closest of kin.  It’s too small because it’s not everything.  They want it ALL! 

Their grumbling, notes Moses, is not primarily against Aaron.  Their grumbling is against God. 

And so is mine. 

The Lord stands before me today and says, “…is it too small a thing…”  and continues for hours upon hours to list of the multitude of my blessings.  He’ll be doing this for all of eternity as his kindness towards me is infinite. 

The question for me today is this: Am I going to be like Korah and grumble about the thing(s) that I do not have, or am I going to celebrate the army of blessings he’s already given me in his quest to destroy the works of the devil? 

Celebrate grace.

7 Questions with Stephen Altrogge: Author of The Greener Grass Conspiracy

Stephen Altrogge has written a helpful book on contentment entitled The Greener Grass Conspiracy.  (I plan on reviewing this book on Friday).  You will certainly want to buy a copy.  You also will want to check out Stephen’s blog, The Blazing Center. 

Stephen was nice enough to answer 7 questions about himself and his book:

1. I have to be honest, for awhile I was not interested in purchasing this book because I thought it had something to do with the global warming conspiracy. I’m not sure why. Just in case I am not the only one, how would you sum up for my readers the main message of your book?

The main message of this book is that God has loads of joy and contentment for us right where we are, and that we don't always need to be on the search for something else to satisfy us.

2. Why this book on contentment?

Two reasons.  First, because I'm often a very discontented pig.  Several years ago I was going through a time when I just didn't like the way my life was shaping up.  My schedule was frenetic, I was tired, and I hardly had any time to be with my family.  In the midst of all this I found myself grumbling and complaining, rather than going to God for joy and contentment.  These circumstances prompted me to go to the Bible and see what it had to say about contentment.  What I found there, particularly in Philippians 4, was transforming, and prompted me to start writing this book.  The second reason I wrote it is because every Christian battles against discontentment.  We all have an idea in our heads of what a perfect life would like, and when we don't get that life, we battle discontentment.  I wrote this book in the hopes that it would help others find their contentment in Christ instead of circumstances.

3. I notice that you quote the Puritans quite often. What were some of the books that you drew most from in writing this book?

I drew primarily from "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs and "The Art of Divine Contentment" by Thomas Watson.  Everyone should read those books.  Seriously. No, I mean drop what you are doing and go purchase those books right now.    (To follow Stephen’s advice you can do so here and here).

4. I love your writing style. You are funny, engaging, and yet always bring your humor around to make a really solid point. I know most of this is probably simply God-given talent, but I am curious who are your greatest influences in writing?

Hmm, that's tough.  Off the top of my head, I would say: John Piper, Dave Barry, with maybe a splash of Jon Acuff thrown in.  I read a ton so it's hard for me to nail down all my influences.  Anne Lamott might be in there somewhere too.

5. I love this statement, “complaining sucks the joy out of life”. I tend to agree with this statement but I do wonder about the Psalms. Something tells me that their “complaining” is much different than what we typically engage in. What is the difference between the complaints of the Psalmist and our typical complaining? Is there a…I’m not sure how to phrase this…redemptive way of complaining?

Yeah I think you're on to something.  I think that the posture of the heart makes all the difference when it comes to complaining.  We can complain in such a way that we are demanding something of God.  When I complain about having a cold, behind that complaint is the implicit demand that God owes me better health.  The Psalmists, however, voiced their complaints to God in a humble, trusting way.  Basically they would say, "God this is hard, I don't like this, please help me, but ultimately I trust you."  I think that we can tell God about our struggles in such a way that we are not demanding better treatment from him, but simply laying our burdens at his feet.

6. Many of my readers may not know that you also write music for Sovereign Grace Ministries. What are some of the most popular songs that you have written?

Let's see.  I've written "The Birthday Song", "The Alphabet Song", and "Thriller".  No, seriously, the one people might know the most is called "He Is Jesus".  I also wrote on called "How Deep" that people seem to do a fair amount. 

7. You state in your book that your favorite Christian rock group is dcTalk. First question, related to this. Are you serious? Second question. “Rock” group, seriously?

You had to bring this up, didn't you?  Yes, dcTalk is my favorite Christian rock group.  I liked other groups like Audio Adrenaline, Newsboys, and Pax 217, but in terms of pure creativity and songwriting, dcTalk is my favorite.  When they released "Jesus Freak" in 1995, that was a momentum shifting album for the entire Christian music industry.  And yes, they are a "Rock" group.  Now, granted, up until "Jesus Freak", I would say that they were a rap group.  But "Jesus Freak" was most definitely a rock album. 

Thanks for the interview!!!!

Thank you Stephen for your time and your helpful responses.  And I’m really sorry about the dcTalk thing.  Not asking the question…just sorry that you haven’t been discontent enough to search out better music. 

I know Stephen encouraged you to buy those books by Burroughs and Watson, but you should also seriously consider buying Stephen’s book.  It is funny, engaging, and probably just as helpful as the two books he suggests buying. 

You can buy Stephen’s newest book here. 

True contentment is more like natural heat than warming your pants by a fire

True Christian contentment is an inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit. Burroughs expounds upon what he means by "frame of spirit". Firstly, he means that it is a grace that spreads throughout the whole body. It begins in the judgment and spreads to the thoughts, the will, and the affections. The contentment that Burroughs speaks of reaches all the way to the affections. He cites David in Psalm 42 as an example of one that "could not get this grace of contentment to go through the whole frame of his soul." He later says, "there is such unruliness in our thoughts and affections that our judgments are not always able to rule our thoughts and affections". Yet, if we are to have that which Burroughs is referencing it must reach our thoughts and affections.

Secondly, this contentment comes from the frame of the soul. "It does not come from outward arguments or from any outward help, as from the disposition of their own hearts". This section is where Burroughs graces us with the "warming your pants" metaphor. It may seem a little silly but it is brilliantly accurate. Those without this grace of Christian contentment may be like the man who warms his pants by the fire. It is heated from the outside and will provide him warmth. However, if his body is not working properly and supplying him natural heat then the warm pants will eventually cool. If he has natural heat then it is warming from the inside out. It will then stay warm; with or without the fire from the outside. So it is with Christian contentment.

Thirdly, it is a "frame of spirit that shows the habitual character of this grace of contentment". Rather than having a day with a "good mood" and then another day of a "bad mood", the truly content Christian will have a "good mood" as the "constant tenor and temper of his heart". Burroughs closes out this section with a rather strong statement: "A Christian who, in the constant tenor and temper of his heart, can carry himself quietly with constancy has learned this lesson of contentment. Otherwise his Christianity is worth nothing, for no one, however furious in his discontent, will not be quiet when he is in a good mood".

It should be noted that Burroughs is not saying that if a man does not have contentment then his "Christianity is worth nothing". I believe what Burroughs is saying here is that if the contentment is not constant, and comes from this inward frame, and is only temporary then your Christianity is not doing anything any more than a good mood could do. So, in this very situation, your Christianity is not profiting you any more than a day of sunshine might. (I think my interpretation would be confirmed by Burroughs typical soft and irenic speech--interpreting it too strongly would go against typical Burroughs).

Admonishment: Be certain that your contentment is not merely a "good mood".

For Your Consideration: Burroughs wants us to feel a little discouraged at this point. He is desiring to pitch the matter a little high. His desire is to help us see that this is not something we can attain on our own. After letting your defenses down, sincerely ask yourself this question: Is my contentment truly a "constant tenor and temper" of my heart?

The Jewel:

"That which comes from the gracious temper of one's spirit will last." (p28)

Continue on to our discussion of section 4, Chapter 1 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment Chap. 1

Can you say with the Apostle Paul, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content'? It is the hope of Jeremiah Burroughs that through expositing this text, that we may, along with Paul, learn the mystery of Christian contentment. The doctrine which comes from this text, and that which will guide this work, is that "to be well skilled in the mystery of Christian contentment is the duty, glory, and excellence of a Christian".

Burroughs goes on to further define what he means by Christian contentment: "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." The entire first chapter is given to its description. "Nine distinct things are opened up" in accordance with this definition:

1. Contentment is a sweet, inward heart-thing
2. It is the quiet of the heart
3. It is an inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit
4. Contentment is the gracious frame of the heart
5. It freely submits to and takes pleasure in God's disposal
6. Contentment is freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God's disposal
7. Contentment is taking pleasure in God's disposal
8. Submitting, and taking pleasure in God's disposal
9. True contentment is in every condition

Hopefully, after the first chapter you feel a little overwhelmed. Take heart, this is our author's goal. He hopes to show that this is, indeed, a great mystery. This mystery is where Burroughs will spend his time in the second chapter.

Burroughs--Contentment Does Come From Addition

Last time we looked at Burroughs he helped us see that contentment comes not so much by way of addition but by the way of subtraction. This time Burroughs will teach us quite the opposite. "A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by getting rid of the burden that is on him, as by adding another burden to himself." This, of course, makes no sense to the worldly mind. Yet Burroughs continues, "the heavier the burden of your sin is to your heart, the lighter will the burden of your affliction be to your heart, and so you shall come to be content". Burroughs then continues to give several examples of how this seemingly ludicrous statement is actually the way to contentment.

It appears that what Burroughs is attempting to drive deep into our hearts is the notion that our sin before a holy God is so vile and treacherous that any ill situation is fitting. Contentment, it would appear, comes from realizing that every blessing is far better than we deserve. With a mind framed like this a man will quickly become contented. When we realize that we should have been cast into hell a thousand yesterdays ago we quickly feel our blessed estate. Burroughs challenges us to look at our broken estate and come away with a broken heart towards God as well.

This will sound like strange counsel to our 21st century ears. We are told quite the opposite. The prosperity gospel would have none of this teaching. If I am experiencing a trial then it can be directly linked to my lack of faith, says the prosperity teacher. If I would but believe harder and give more then God will pull me out of this mire due to my sin. Burroughs is telling the prosperity teacher that our redemption is enough. The Cross of Christ rescuing us from the burden of sin is all the prosperity that we need. When we feel the burden of our sin, and when the Lord graciously lifts it off, we will experience contentment.

This message will likewise sound foreign to the easy-believism of the 21st century. Simply pray this prayer and God will forgive you, only be sincere, is the cry of the proponents of cheap grace. An adherent to easy-believism will seldom be content when trials come. When the scorching sun comes they will wither away. He has never felt the burden of his sin. The roots of the gospel has never gone deep. He only considers Jesus as a band-aid or a get out of hell free card. The true offensiveness of himself and utter ruin he faces are blind from his sight. He was told to pray a prayer but never to feel the painful burden of sin. Burroughs is admonishing easy-believers to look to their sin. When they sense their utter depravity and hopelessness before God; and when they are opened to see the total justification of Christ; then, and only then, will they find contentment. The Cross is enough!

Burroughs--Contentment Comes from Subtraction Not Addition

Burroughs explains what he means by "contentment comes from subtraction instead of addition" when he says: "...not so much by adding to what he would have, or to what he has, not by adding more to his condition; but rather by subtracting from his desires, so as to make his desires and his circumstances even and equal." We are content when our hearts desire is equal to our circumstances. This, Burroughs posits, is why some men are happy with little and others miserable with much. We are rich when we have our desires fulfilled. Burroughs central point in this section (p15) is that, "a contented man has his desires satisfied, God satisfies them, that is, all considered, he is satisfied that his circumstances are for the present the best circumstances".

I agree with what Burroughs is saying. Yet, I would perhaps phrase it a little differently. As C.S. Lewis said:

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. (From The Weight of Glory, 1949)

I would say then that Burroughs is correct that contentment comes from having our desires met. As Burroughs has hinted at before; we as Christians are the most contented and at the same time most dissatisfied creatures. Therefore if we are to be contented it will come from having strong desires for the Lord and not having hearts entangled in the world. We will be content with whatever lot we have in the world because that is not where our heart is. Our heart has a much stronger affection and because of that we will not be dissatisfied by our circumstances, but rather we will be panting after the Lord. Satisfied, yet hungry! Burroughs, I believe, would agree with this. Yet I have chosen to word it a little differently than he does for the sake of clarity in the 21st century.

Burroughs--The Mystery of Contentment

Today we begin Chapter 2 in our study of Jeremiah Burroughs The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. Again, a reminder that you can buy the book here, or read it online here. In this chapter, and the third, Burroughs will exposit for us the great mystery of contentment. What does he mean by mystery? He gives an example with this statement: "You never learned the mystery of contentment unless it may be said of you that, just as you are the most contented man, so you are also the most unsatisfied man in the world." What a great mystery it must be that a man is discontent and content at the same time. Burroughs goes on to explain: "though his heart is so enlarged that the enjoyment of all the world and ten thousand worlds cannot satisfy him for his portion; yet he has a heart quieted under God's disposal, if He gives him but bread and water." In order for this to not be utterly insane we must see it as a great mystery indeed. This marks the difference between a godly man and he with a carnal heart. The godly man that is contented will not find his portion in this world and thus will be satisfied with what little he is given. The carnal man will find the world for his portion and thus will never be satisfied.

The heart of the issue lies in what satisfies us. "A soul that is capable of God can be filled with nothing else but God...therefore, whatever God may give to a gracious heart, a heart that is godly, unless He gives Himself it will not do". As Burroughs expounds upon Philippians 4:7, 9 we see the depth of his thought as it is compared to the carnality of our modern thinking. I have known many of Christians when reading, Philippians 4:9 ("And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ,") will pursue the peace of God. Listen to what Burroughs offers as an observation of that text: "the peace of God is not enough to a gracious heart except it may have the God of that peace. A carnal heart would be satisfied if he might but have outward peace, though it is not the peace of God...but mark how a godly heart goes beyond a carnal. All outward peace is not enough; I must have the peace of God...we must enjoy the Fountain of peace, as well as the stream of my peace".

A good measure of whether or not we have this godly contentment is to ask ourselves whether or not we can honestly agree with Psalm 73:25, "Whom have I in heaven but you and there is none upon the earth that I desire beside you." If you want to further information on this concept I suggest reading Piper's excellent book God is the Gospel. You can purchase it here or read it online here. Piper's central thesis is that the greatest gift of the gospel is God Himself. This strongly echoes Burroughs sentiment that a contented heart is dissatisfied until he has God Himself, but is yet contented with the little the world has because of the measure of grace God has given Him.

Burroughs--Contentment in Every Situation

We will close out chapter one today (p10-12). Burroughs goal in this section will be to show us that true Christian contentment aims to take charge in every condition. We see this in three regards.

1. Submitting to God in whatever kind of affliction befalls us. Everyone says that they should be content in every circumstance. But "there is a great deal of deceit in general statements". We like to say that we are content always but there are certain things that we have a more difficult time bearing. Some who are stricken in their marriage would wish that God had taken their finances. Others who are stricken in their finances wish that God would have taken their health. Those who are of ill health might wish God had struck them in another place. "But we must not be our own carvers." True Christian contentment should, "be not only to any condition in general, but for the kind of the affliction, including that which most crosses you."
2. Submitting to God regardless of the time and continuance of the affliction. "We must not be our own disposers for the time of deliverance any more than for the kind and way of deliverance". Even if this be a soul-affliction. Even if it appears that God has withdrawn his face from us and we must travail for years, we must seek him all the more. Burroughs then gives the example of Noah and Ezekiel who had to wait upon God before coming out of their difficult mission. "We should not be willing to come out till he comes and fetches us out".
3. Submitting to God regardless of the changes in our condition. It is very rarely that one affliction comes alone; commonly afflictions are not single things, but they come upon the neck of another". In other words when it rains it pours. It is more difficult when one affliction follows another, nevertheless, we must persevere in our contentment.

Burroughs has been showing us today that we must be content regardless of the circumstance. I am reminded of prisoner Paul in the book of Philippians who appears to be quite content and even joyful. His reason? It appears to be his passionate love for Jesus that sustains him. "Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection of the dead". In other words Jesus is such a precious treasure that I consider everything as nothing compared to him. If Christ is not our treasure then we will not learn Christian contentment.