Contentment
True happiness and blessedness come from embracing God's will and sovereignty, and recognizing that all things, whether good or bad, come from Him.
W.R. Inge shares a powerful story about a man seeking the way of truth and encountering a poor man who exemplifies unwavering faith and contentment in God's will, regardless of circumstances. The poor man's perspective challenges the listener to embrace gratitude, acceptance, and surrender to God's will in all situations, even in the face of potential suffering or hardship, ultimately prioritizing a deep relationship with God above all else.
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A GREAT teacher once told a story in his preaching about a man who for eight years besought God to show him a man who would make known to him the way of truth. While he was in this state of anxiety there came a voice from God and spake to him: Go in front of the church, and there shalt thou find a man who will make known to thee the way of truth. He went, and found a poor man whose feet were chapped and full of dirt, and all his clothes were hardly worth twopence-halfpenny. He greeted this poor man and said to him, God give thee a good morning.
The poor man answered, I never had a bad morning. The other said, God give thee happiness. How answerest thou that? The poor man answered, I was never unhappy. The first then said, God send thee blessedness. How answerest thou that? I was never unblessed, was the answer. Lastly the questioner said, God give thee health! Now enlighten me, for I cannot understand it. And the poor man replied, When thou saidst to me, may God give thee a good morning, I said I never had a bad morning.
If I am hungry, I praise God for it; if I am cold, I praise God for it; if I am distressful and despised, I praise God for it; and that is why I never had a bad morning. When thou askedst God to give me happiness, I answered that I had never been unhappy; for what God gives or ordains for me, whether it be His love or suffering, sour or sweet, I take it all from God as being the best, and that is why I was never unhappy. Thou saidst further, May God make thee blessed, and I said, I was never unblessed, for I have given up my will so entirely to God's will, that what God wills, that I also will, and that is why I was never unblessed, because I willed alone God's will.
Ah! dear fellow, replied the man; but if God should will to throw thee into hell, what wouldst thou say then? He replied, Throw me into hell! Then I would resist Him. But even if He threw me into hell, I should still have two arms wherewith to embrace Him. One arm is true humility, which I should place under Him, and with the arm of love I should embrace Him. And he concluded, I would rather be in hell and possess God, than in the kingdom of heaven without Him. (623)
Sermon Outline
- I. The Importance of Contentment
- A. Recognizing the source of anxiety and discontentment
- B. Understanding the nature of true happiness and blessedness
- C. Embracing God's will and sovereignty
- II. The Parable of the Poor Man
- A. The poor man's response to God's blessings and challenges
- B. The importance of humility and surrender to God's will
- III. The Dangers of Discontentment
- A. The risk of resisting God's will
- B. The importance of embracing God's sovereignty even in difficult circumstances
Key Quotes
“I was never unhappy. I was never unblessed.” — W.R. Inge
“When thou saidst to me, may God give thee a good morning, I said I never had a bad morning.” — W.R. Inge
“I would rather be in hell and possess God, than in the kingdom of heaven without Him.” — W.R. Inge
Application Points
- Recognize the source of anxiety and discontentment in your life and seek to understand and trust in God's sovereignty and will.
- Cultivate humility and surrender to God's will, even in difficult circumstances.
- Embracing God's sovereignty and will is essential for maintaining a relationship with God and finding true happiness and blessedness.