The Logic of Contentment
The past week I’ve been deeply affected by my reading of several chapters in D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure.
Having skipped ahead to the second to last chapter/sermon, Learning to Be Content, on Philippians 4:10-12, I appreciated MLJ’s attempt to present the apostle Paul’s logic behind Philippians 4:
1. Conditions are always changing, therefore I must obviously not be dependent on conditions.
2. What matters supremely and vitally is my soul and my relationship to God–that is the first thing.
3. God is concerned about me as my Father, and nothing happens to me apart from God. Even the very hairs of my head are all numbered. I must never forget that.
4. God’s will and God’s ways are a great mystery, but I know that whatever he wills or permits is out of necessity for my good.
5. Every situation in life is the unfolding of some manifestation of God’s love and goodness. Therefore my business is to look for the peculiar manifestation of God’s goodness and kindness and to be prepared for surprises and blessings because ‘His ways are not my ways, neither His thoughts my thoughts’. What, for example, is the great lesson that Paul learned in the matter of the thorn in the flesh? It is that: ‘When I am weak then am I strong’. Paul was taught through physical weakness this manifestation of God’s grace.
6. I must regard circumstances and conditions, not in and of themselves therefore, but as part of God’s dealings with me in the work of perfecting my soul and bringing me to final perfection.
7. Whatever my conditions may be at this present moment they are only temporary, they are only passing, and they can never rob me of the joy and the glory that ultimately await me with Christ.
Great post – They don’t make book covers like that any more!
Hey Justin… I appreciate your blog… your posts are always thought-provoking. And I hesitate to say anything that could be seen as needlessly critical, but at the same time I’d want someone to tell me, so here goes.
You tend to misspell the middle part of Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s name.
That’s all.
Otherwise, you’re awesome.
Pam, how dare you! Just kidding. Thanks so much for pointing out the spelling mistake. I will take note. Lloyd. Lloyd. Lloyd.
And also, if I were in my twenties and lived in the SF bay area, I would totally come to your church. Or even if I weren’t in my twenties.
For so many reasons, I’m glad you’re there!
