Contentment

In one sense, we should be content with everything we have, but in another sense we should continually long for the perfection to come. Our contentment today would be void without an eternal perfection waiting. This life is far from perfect, and often painful. That pain should remind of us sin, and that Jesus came to die, to free us from our sin that we may worship him eternally. So should you be content in this life? Yes and no. Yes, knowing God will always be with you to help you press on to the end. Yes, that your sins have been paid for. Yes, that you can experience samples and foreshadows of the perfect state to come in this life now. But no, you should not think that nothing could make you happier. You should know there is a better life that has yet to arrive. Without the hope to come, today would be meaningless, purposeless.

In times of struggles, don’t lie to yourself and think you need to put on a face of joy to show others that you continually rejoice, but cry in pain, knowing that God’s perfection in you has not been made complete. Remember who God is, and his ultimate promise to rescue you from your own sin and the sin of this world. Find contentment in that promise, while keeping perspective that life is still full of pain and struggles.

Some think that you should always find perfect contentment in this life. I would then argue that their hope is not in the gospel, but in the world. In Philippians 4 when Paul talks about his “secret of contentment” in all things, I believe he has perspective of the day to come in which he completes the race. He is content in the fact that God will get him through whatever trials he wishes to bring him through, but then at death finally his salvation will be made complete.


There is no hope today, without an eternal hope to come.

Excellent Reasons Against Abortion.

What is Emet?

A couple years ago I got a tattoo on my left shoulder. The word is truth translated into Hebrew (pronounced Emet)? People ask me all the time, "So why'd you get a tattoo?" Not necessarily in order of importance these are my reasons: Firstly, I like the way it looks. Secondly, its something Kara and I did together (she got sojourner tattooed on her foot) so there is a shared moment that we will always have. Also, its a staple of our time and our church in Louisville. Louisville is a very unique city, very artsy, and we have a lot of good memories from there. Lastly, I specifically chose the word Truth in Hebrew because I had just finished a year of studying Hebrew and I am passionate about understanding truth. I have always found it both astonishing and frustrating that we live in a world that consistently operates on logic and truth (e.g. if you buy something that cost $15 and you give me $20, than I give you $5 in change) yet so few people apply this same logic and truth to morals and to thoughts on God. We live in a world of post-modernism, where everybody says "you have your truth, and I have mine." But what if our truths contradict each other? They can't both be true. We live in a world that says its narrow-minded to tell other people their beliefs are wrong, but its alright to tell people they are wrong if they are narrow minded. In the "business world" society would fall apart if we all made up our own morals, truths, and logic, but this illogical way of living is accepted in the metaphysical, "religious world." Ultimately everything we do and think is shaped by what we think is true, or what is not true. Do you have to get a tattoo to say you believe in ultimate truth? No, but I'm glad that I did.