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. 1Ti 6:6-8 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have
learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how
to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing
plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I
can do all things through him who strengthens me. Phi 4:11-13
In the week before my birthday, which is May Day, I
came across three very solidly influential quotes. I had written them down from
somewhere, I cannot even remember how many years ago. They made me sit up, look
God in the face as it were and tremble for my fluctuation! But the Lord does
not vacillate and I thank him I stumbled upon them again for my very good.
“O lord, I was born to serve thee, to be thine
and to be thy instrument. I ask not to see; I ask not to know; I ask simply to
be used”. I don’t know who said this yet my heart resonated with a very
powerful “amen!” The other quote by John A Broadus is on the right side-bar of the
blog and the last one of these three was the first I put with my previous post:
“Love nothing, embrace nothing but what sets God higher or brings God nearer to
your heart” Thomas Brooks (Touchstone of Sincerity). At least I remember
reading this booklet and I recommend it for some soul searching on the subject
of hypocrisy and as an evangelistic tool. As for me, I got the
double deal of being used of the God and experiencing the celebrated secret of
contentment on my birthday!
Well, the celebrated secret of contentment should
always be on our minds and lips if not for anything else at least so that the
world should be witnessed to as the Lord gives us opportunity. So how did I
celebrate with this? And how can we celebrate whatever occasion such that it is
not in a cunning manner of indulgence, with perhaps any other Christian ideals
or principles? Essentially, it is through reflecting on our lives and
meditation on God’s Word and using the opportunities to be useful. There’s
really so much need for good!
On
the evening before May 1, my wife got a message from the young sister that one
of her nieces was coming through to our home. My wife made some inquiries as to
why and how a girl of about thirteen years was moving that late. She was on a
bus coming from town, and the story being that they lost each other with her
cousin when they went shopping for slippers and she could not walk to her home
alone in the night. Our place is very close to the bus stop.
I
told my wife not to question her too much through the mobile phone as though
she was not welcome because she would be frightened and who knows where she might
end up, if she had issues at home? Well, she came and Mercy had the first go talking
with her.
After
talking with the girl that night during supper, I had an idea of the issues she
was struggling with. At breakfast we continued our talk and I tapped on her
conscience with God’s law that she was violating, while I hope Christ was and
is still knocking at her heart. She was covetous, lying, stealing, stubborn and
rebellious; calling these sins by other names and refusing to own up, even in
my face! I talked about her relationship with God and how He is the only who
would change her heart, forgive her and make her His child.
You
know this is not a forcing matter and the Lord particularly made me talk about
contentment too in a really reflective way. She was having a cell phone
belonging to one of her friends from next door or so. She also used her
father’s perfume that day “only”, so she revealed because she likes the way it
smells. And I was like, “Lord, how far do we steep in sin and you forgive and
rescue; how much are we willing to forego or deny ourselves and you smile; and
suffer with and for Christ and we are not ashamed, and you give us more grace?”
That,
and the quotes, made a deep incision into my whole being such that I spent most
part of the day reflecting and meditating on the celebrated
secret of contentment. Even though there was no cake from anywhere for me, and my
wife was going away just before noon on my birthday, traveling to see the
bright lights of Johannesburg once again, no car to take a drive, and there
being nothing really “special” to talk about, except for the nice dinner hosted
by a friend and his wife; I say with Paul the apostle, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in
whatever situation I am to be content. I
know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every
circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance
and need. I can do all things through
him who strengthens me.” Phi 4:11-13
The
fruit of this has, as you may have guessed, been a closer, peaceful and sweeter
walk with the Lord, and the “Enough to Get By” dialogue, perhaps for you to pin
up.
“If
yours is dripping and not running water; if yours are crumbs instead of slices
of bread; and if yours be barrenness and prolonged season of tumult and the
valley, know and trust thou still that the Lord is Love and dost reign. God’s
power, wisdom, and glory will duly be manifest.”
