Burning Vapor

Merciful Contentment

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. ~ 2 Cor. 9:8

Jennifer and I are working through some pretty difficult issues with a couple of our sons.  We are at a crossroads of sorts and are faced with some weighty decisions.  As we have struggled through parenting for the past two years and even more so in the past two weeks, I was encouraged by a passage from Jeremiah Burroughs.  I was reminded that while it could be easy to focus on the trial and affliction, we are much better served and Jesus is much more honored in our thankful consideration of Him.

Let not men and women pore too much upon their affliction: that is, busy their thoughts too much to look down into their afflictions.  You find many people, all of whose thoughts are taken up about what their crosses and afflictions are, they are altogether thinking and speaking of them.  It is just with them as with a child who has a sore: his finger is always on the sore; so men’s and women’s thoughts are always on their afflictions.  Oh, no marvel that you live a discontented life, if your thoughts are always poring over such things.  You should rather labour to have your thoughts on those things that may comfort you.  There are many who, if you propound any rule to them to do them good, will take it well while they are with you, and thank you for it, but when they are gone they soon forget it…

A man or woman who has a weak spirit must not be looking into the fire of their afflictions, upon those things that deject, that cast them down, but they ought to be looking rather on that which may be suitable for healing and helping them; they should consider those things rather than the other.  It will be of very great use and benefit to you, if you lay it to heart, not to be poring always on afflictions, but on mercies.

- Jeremiah Burroughs “The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment”.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 8:38 pm and is filed under Family, Gospel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.