“Next to faith this is the highest art — to be content with the calling in which God has placed you.”
– Martin Luther
And… discuss.
Todd
5 thoughts on “Thoughts On A Quote”
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Wow, I’ve just been struggling with this concept of contentment this week! From what I can understand in my own struggle, it takes faith, lots of it, to truly be content in what God has called you to–whether it be a certain job, marriage, singleness, ministry, parenting or whatever. And to realize that success in God’s eyes is totally different than the standards of most people in this world, including Christians. God’s calling for someone to care for babies in the church nursery is just as valuable as his calling for someone to preach.
But to really be content, it means we release our need to control our own lives and trust, really trust, that God both knows what is best for us and is quite capable of bringing it to pass. To borrow an illustration from James Bryan Smith in “Room of Marvels,” that kind of faith is like riding a horse backwards, not controlling where we are going but simply entrusting ourselves to God to take us where we need to be.
I’ve got to admit that this kind of faith and contentment doesn’t come easy for me because just when I think I’ve taken a huge leap of faith, God challenges me with another scenario that turns my temporary contentment upside down and helps me realize how fragile and circumstantial my faith can be at times. It makes me ask God for help in my unbelief to strengthen my faith. And then to realize that God even provides faith for us when we ask.
Perhaps contentment is the fruit of faith–when your heart finally accepts with thanksgiving what your head has been saying over and over: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
Seriously. Get out of my brain.
Oh never mind. You haven’t actually told us what YOU thought of the quote.
One clarification to my earlier post: For me, it’s easier to be content with God’s calling when it coincides with what I want to do and with things that interest me. But when He calls me to something I don’t like or in which I lack confidence or natural ability, that’s when my contentment level plummets and my faith in God is weak. But I suspect that’s just where He can do His greater work–in my weakness, not in my strength.
I like the quotation; being content can be very hard. I love the writings of Martin Luther (even though I’m not Lutheran).
Yeah, this is a hard one. It seems like most of us want to make a difference, but the small things, or seemingly small things, we’re able to do seem so inconsequencial; sometimes it seems like what we do is meaningless. At least that’s where I sometimes find myself.
We also desire to be valued, and since we live in a culture that values most the things that mean the least, we don’t find the value we should in the small but very important things God leads us to do. We need to rest (abide) in Him and allow Him to be the One who gives us value. Easier said than lived out.
It’s good to read your thoughts through your blogs. You take care and know that I’m praying.