something i’ve been mulling over…
i read a question that got me thinking. it wasn’t the potential answers to the question that made me think, but the question itself. the question was:
“Are you happy, or at least content?”
it was the “at least” part that got me wondering… is there a difference? can you be content and not happy? should you be content but not happy? are the two not the same? shouldn’t the two be the same? i submit to you that they should. i believe that the two terms, at least for the christian, ought to be synonymous. think about it. what really is contentment? [again, i am posting here from a christian worldview and directing these thoughts toward my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ] thomas watson (a puritan author) defines contentment as “that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every situation.” (The Art of Divine Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs) i think the key word there is “delight.” if you are truly happy with something, are you not also content? why would the reverse not be true? if you are truly content with something, are you not also happy? i mean, how often do we find ourselves saying, “well, okay, I can be content with that.” and what we’re really saying is “it’s not what I want, or what I would like the most, or what I think is best, but I’ll deal with it if that’s what it has to be.” and we’re calling that contentment. but really it’s not. really we’re not happy with it, but we resolve to settle. we make do. and we consider that as the achievement of some degree of contentment. but stop and think about the God that we serve! God is always working for our best. for the Christian, God’s disposition toward us is one of love and favor, pouring out grace and mercy on us. so when we “settle” or decide to just “be content” with what we’ve been dealt, instead of choosing to delight in what we’ve been given, we are really making a statement about what we believe about the very character of God. if we say that we are content, it should be because our hearts are happy in God. happiness and contentment should not be disassociated from each other. and I’m not trying to play a semantics game here. what I’m trying to get at is the heart behind the term. what are we really saying? what are we really believing?
i was reading this morning in psalm 16 (one of my favorite passages!) and was reminded of this idea again by verse 6 – “the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” if you look at the context of the whole psalm, the psalmist is not saying this because of his circumstances. there is no mention of circumstances in the entire psalm! nor is there any mention of what the psalmist would prefer or wants. no, he is able to make such a declaration because he knows that “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You” (vs 2). his contentment, his happiness at the lot and portion that God has lovingly dealt to him, are rooted in the character of God.
just something I’ve been pondering… thought I’d share… J
my dear friend and beloved singles pastor’s wife, Tara, has posted on her blog more in depth about some issues/questions/challenges to the area of contentment. you can check out her posts here.
Zach & Andrea 