The winter of our discontent

Dave pointed out to me the other day that my blog was still hanging from my entry the other day, so here is my attempt to rectify the situation.

The fact is that I have done some thinking since the last post, and have decided that the best thing to do is probably to just do my best with the med course and graduate, and work for a couple of years - apparently working is a lot different to studying, and better. I will re-evaluate then, and by then will have more flexible options anyway, like locuming 1 day a week (like a medico from church is doing, who doesn't like his job) and doing other stuff the other days. It will be useful to have a medical degree anyhow, whatever I do in the future...

The other reason(s) I wanted to blog was that
1) I met up with Tomoko! We were so excited, as we hadn't seen each other for almost a year, since I was in Canada. But she is now here visiting an old Canadian friend, Jason, for a week and so she came to St Jude's in the morning and we had a walk through Melbourne Uni (where we fought for photography space with a wedding party) and all had lunch together. It was really good catching up... I am so grateful for having made such genuine friends on my exchange... and it was a great blessing to see her again!

2) The sermon at church was hugely inspiring today. Titled 'The Western Winter of Our Discontent', Chris Mulherin (our pastor, an ex-missionary to Argentina) so pithily and vividly pointed out the negative cultural influences our affluent Western culture has on faith... among them, the breeding of discontent. Discontent happens when what people want is different to what they have. This includes material things like money, house, car but also circumstances in life like one's work, family, and (God forbid) even spouse. Our culture's way of dealing with discontent is to try to change circumstances to fit in with our desires... but actually, the Biblical way (as exemplified by Paul in Philippians 4) is to be content: that is, alter our desires to fit in with our circumstances! Now, isn't that radical?

It's funny because I have heard this idea many times - from my Bible reading, from friends, even from my (non-Christian) parents - but never before has it lay in my mind with such clarity. Much of it has to do with Chris's inspired preaching - having been a missionary, like Paul, and perhaps being able to identify with some of Paul's experiences - gives his words real conviction. And his illustrations are so vivid, and so attention grabbing. But I know that God is the one who changes hearts, and I'm so glad He spoke to me today. And He is also the one that enables pastors to communicate their message well, so thank God for that too!

But it is so true - all of us have many sources of unhappiness in our lives - indeed we know that we can never be truly happy in this world - in our job; in our lack of time; in our relationships, or lack of relationships; in our family situations - but joy, and contentment, are different altogether. For the Christian, joy and contentment are founded on eternal truths! Truths of life and death, of Christ and our guarantee of eternal life through Him, where there will be 'no more death or mourning or crying or pain'. Happiness is altogether different from joy/contentment - people can be momentarily happy without contentment, and Christians can be unhappy, and undergoing frustration, or pain, or suffereing, while holding on to a deep-seated contentment that comes from eternal truth.

I'll just finish with a couple of excerpts from Philippians 4 that I hope will also speak to you in a new way, whether you have read them a hundred times, or never seen them at all:

'Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

'I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.'

(Philippians 4:4-7, 11-13)