Contentment is, Contentment is not

 “Lord, I see there is more to Christian contentment than I thought there was.” 

~ Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs
Last paragraph, Chapter 1

Um, yes.

In the short 12 pages (but very small font) of the first chapter, Burroughs lays out what contentment is and is not. “Contentment in every condition is a great art, a spiritual mystery. It is to be learned, and to be learned as a mystery.” (Philippians 4:11-12)

Complaining
You say to yourself, “Well, I’m not a complainer, thus I must be content.” Wrong. That may be a start, but Burroughs says, “Not only must the tongue hold its peace; the soul must be silent.” (Psalm 62:1)

“Not complaining” does not equate with contentment. Many may sit silently, but are they content? Not necessarily. If contentment were only an outward exercise, anybody could do it.

That doesn’t mean that you can never complain—just do it “in an orderly manner.” It is right to seek help in difficult circumstances. And nothing is wrong with trying to be delivered from afflictions. But keep a proper spirit intact during the process.

I’ve generally thought of myself as a contented person, but my weak areas are very strong. Reading through Burrough’s point-by-point definition of contentment, I recognized my own spots of discontentment as the ugly things they are. I look forward to their reduction with increased exposure to the Light.

IS NOT
8 things contentment is opposed to:
1. Murmuring
2. Fretting
3. Unruly thoughts
4. Unsettled spirit
5. Too many cares
6. Discouragement
7. A convenient “out”
8. Rebellion

IS
9 things a contented spirit is:
1. An inward work of the Spirit
2. A quiet heart
3. A whole frame of mind
4. A quieted disposition (not merely a “personality type”)
5. A free working of the Spirit
6. A voluntary submission to God
7. Agreeing that God’s hand in the affliction is good
8. Seeing God’s wisdom in everything
9. Submitting to the time and the form that the affliction takes

Summary
Sew it all back together and you get Burroughs’ definition of contentment:
“Contentment is the inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God’s disposal in every condition.”

If the rest of the book is like chapter 1, it will be a profitable study. But a hard one. The syntax isn’t easy; the concepts are difficult; and the principles are tough to swallow. Yet so far, the gain outweighs the pain.

On to Chapter 2, “The Mystery of Contentment”...

What are others saying? 
Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Chapter 1, “Christian Contentment Described”