What would Jesus do on a Saturday night?
The bass player for We Are The Branches recently focused in on a troubling concept for a lot of people to understand, grasp, and actually believe: the ability to be content. The mindset to be happy with what you have and be thankful for whatcha got. The heart to be satisfied and at peace with the way things are.
Two things.
Q1) Is it really that good to be content?
Proposed A1) Not really. I’m looking to the Prayer of St. Francis for this one, specifically the end where it says something like, “grant me the strength to change what i can, the serenity to accept what i cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference” or something like that. Change, in my experience is most often brought about through suffering, conflict, and malcontent. Yes Ghandi and Jesus and MLK jr. all brought about profound change for the good of the world but all three things were there.
A similar but separate word for change is progress. Progress to me means positive and beneficial change for everyone. To that effect there probably hasn’t been all that much progress in the world. I would suggest that Jesus promoted progress but after reviewing the history of the Catholic Church I wonder if it was progress at all, no fault of His own of course.
Another set of similar words that need to be seperated for this to make sense are contentment and settling. I think when said bass player was talking of contentment he wasn’t talking about settling. I think in Genesis when God looked back on creation and said it was good that He wasn’t settling on it. I think settling refers to missed potential and contentment points at the appreciation of possibilities.
I think it is important in our daily life and life long dreams to have a sense of contenment and pride in the accomplishments of ourselves and others and The Lord, understanding that even the most seemingly perfect things can be changed.
I also think it is important to never settle. Never settle for something less than what you hoped for. I think this is what St. Francis was talking about. The strength to change a settlement into a content situation, the humility to know that when contentment sets in it might not change until He or we want it to, and literally, the wisdom to know the difference.
Dude in Bible (settling): This is the best way to do things.
Jesus (malcontent): no it’s not.
Dude in Bible (conflict): if you think you can do it better than do it!
Jesus (suffering) : OK, I will.
*interlude*
Disciples Group A (change): crap! Jesus died and went to Heaven, now what do we do? I guess we should do what he taught us to and live how he lived?
Disciples Group B (progress): Yeah! and we should teach others how by word of mouth and then get monks to write it all down until it can be mass produced by the printing press and movable type! Then everyone (particularly literate people) can live a really awesome life and be friends and stuff!
People and God (content): HOORAY!!!
Part 2 coming soon!
Part 2 focuses on the human innability to accept the concept of infinity and our conquest for power and what it means to you! not for the faint of heart!
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Q1) Is it really that good to be content?
Proposed A2) Yeah, really. Lookin at what the guy who wrote half the books in the NT said (Paul or Saul) - “I’ve learned to be content in whatever situation I’m in - because I can do all things through Christ” (loose quote) seems to me to say that being content through and/or in Christ is OK. In fact, when I actually let my life truely be in Christ (which is not often enough!) I find great contentment. Now if I could only learn to do this all the time!
I would agree though that being content does not mean we should settle, or not change or not embrace and strive for progress. That’s the danger of being content - getting stuck on hold and not moving forward. It’s a great thing that the disciple’s did do what Jesus taught them and did not get caught in a content, let’s just stay the way we are where we are mode. Should we be/do any different?
I love being content but find that the more I let God work in me and change me and stretch me the more I can become like His Son and the more content I am. Can’t wait until I am face to face with the Father and the Son. Now that will be contentment!
As is the case with so much of everything, I think the question should be, “In what way should I be content and in what way should I not?”.
I should be content to invest my life for the Kingdom (eternal treasure) and forgo what the world offers (stuff that is ultimatly worthless). I should be content with the amazing blessings God gives me. To not be content in things like this is to reject the purpose of God in my life.
I should not be content with my sin, with my failure, with my shallow view of Jesus. I should long to see God work in and through me. I should strive to strip myself of everything that holds me back from winning the race.