An art which must be learned...

Health issues can be thorny issues. We are challenged physically, we are challenged emotionally, and we are challenged spiritually. And in the midst of it all, as followers of Jesus, we are challenged to learn to be content in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. Seems like a pretty tall order sometimes.

Another of my favorite Puritans is Jeremiah Burroughs, and his definition of Christian contentment. I was prompted to look it up again today to remind myself where I want to be. Burroughs says:

To be skilled in the mystery of Christian contentment is the duty, glory and excellence of the Christian. It is an art which must be learned. Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.

If this is news to you, Gentle Reader, you might pick up a copy of The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. It was another one of those life-altering books for me.

So, onward I go, learning this difficult art at the feet of my Heavenly Father.