Trust, Ambition, and Contentment
Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Psalm 131:1-2David writes that he "behaved and quieted" himself "as a child that is weaned of his mother." If you are a parent, you understand full well the ongoing labor of instilling good behavior and calmness in your children. Children tend to fret over the simplest of trials, and the most serious matter in their little lives can be as basic as permission to cross the street. The psalmist, in these revealing passages, tells us that our "souls" can operate like small children in need of good behavior or proper weaning.
However, as older persons, our weaning is much more sophisticated than simply letting go of the bottle. What we have to break free from consists of a wide range of human hurdles such as ambition, dependence, distrust, discontentment, and concern over the fulfillment of our own life plans. We want to know all there is to know about our future, God's will, and how long we have to wait for things to develop. In short, it's the same desire to be as God that was found in Adam and Eve -- to "exercise ourselves in great matters, or in things too high for us."
The psalmist refers to this mentality as having a "haughty heart" and "lofty eyes." The problem enters in when that pride is challenged by having to wait for God's plans to develop; we either fret and complain over God's "silence," or we take matters into our hands and use some formula to achieve our goals. Until we are weaned from such an attitude, we cannot receive God's pure instruction:
Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. Isaiah 28:9Those who are weaned are calm, quieted, behaved, and patient. This last character trait is often the most difficult aspect for children to acquire. They are not patient. As a parent, how many times have you had to tell your child "to wait," or "be patient?" As you know, it's a challenge for our little ones to handle such a tall order. They want things immediately. Who hasn't endured the repeated pleas from the backseat, "Are we there yet?"
Small children are not concerned with the reasons why they are waiting, or the reality that it takes time to travel long distances in a car. They don't understand why Mom and Dad can't simply manifest what they want in a timely fashion, i.e. NOW! Isn't this an appropriate description of our own "grown up" instances of fretting and impatience with God? We want our plans to develop in a timely fashion, and we constantly ask God, "Are we there yet?"
Waiting is a problem for the soul -- the childish part of our natural lives. We like to occupy ourselves with the great matters that are reserved for God alone, and we grow impatient when answers or plans don't come quickly. The Scriptures often speak directly to this basic flaw in our nature:
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Psalm 37:3-7
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26
Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually. Hosea 12:6
My soul wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is refuge for us. Psalm 62:5-8The Scriptures encourage us to wait upon the Lord for His plans to develop. The Amplified Bible provides us an empowering interpretation of this in Psalm 106:12-13:
Then [Israel] believed His words -- trusting in, relying on them; they sang His praise. But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] respecting them.The King James renders verse 13: "Then soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel." Like Israel, we can easily disregard the counsel of God through impatience. Waiting for the development of God's plans seems like a waste of time, and we often fear missed opportunity as we see others -- often the ungodly -- move quickly into prosperity, fame, achievement, and honor. It's as if they are far more blessed then we. But, this would be a misguided view of God's blessing. John Calvin explains this well:
Therefore, suppose we believe that every means toward a prosperous and desirable outcome rests upon the blessing of God alone; and that, when this is absent, all sorts of misery and calamity dog us. It remains for us not greedily to strive after riches and honors--whether relying upon our own dexterity of wit or our own diligence, or depending upon the favor of men, or having confidence in vainly imagined fortune--but for us always to look to the Lord so that by his guidance we may be led to whatever lot he has provided for us. Thus it will first come to pass that we shall not dash out to seize upon riches and usurp honors through wickedness and by stratagems and evil arts, or greed, to the injury of our neighbors; but pursue only those enterprises which do not lead us away from innocence. [1]Calvin is correct: it would be much easier if prosperity and a desirable outcome only came by the blessing of God, and that without it, "all sorts of misery and calamity dog us." But, this is not the case. We witness others -- again, the ungodly -- experience their dreams and prosperity without any reliance upon obedience. Is this the blessing of God on their behalf? Hardly. Often, it's simply God's way of heaping coals of fire upon their heads, i.e. they are receiving grace, but remain unthankful and disobedient. This will only increase their judgment on the final day.
When we as Christians see the prosperity of the wicked, and it seems God has our lives on hold, it becomes both confusing and difficult for our souls to comprehend. Is God mad at us? Has He forsaken us? Why does He have us on hold? Calvin says that we should not, during these times, "dash out to seize upon riches and usurp honors through wickedness... but pursue only those enterprises which do not lead us away from innocence." Calvin continues:
For with what shamelessness does a man trust that he will be helped by God to obtain those things which he desires contrary to God's Word? Away with the thought that God would abet with his blessing what he curses with his mouth! Lastly, if things do not go according to our wish and hope, we will still be restrained from impatience and loathing of our condition, whatever it may be. For we shall know that this is to murmur against God, by whose will riches and poverty, contempt and honor, are dispensed. To sum up, he who rests solely upon the blessing of God, as it has been here expressed, will neither strive with evil arts after those things which men customarily madly seek after, which he realizes will not profit him, nor will he, if things go well, give credit to himself or even to his diligence, or industry, or fortune. [2]We risk too much if we allow our impatience to move us to dishonor God in the development of His plans for our lives. This is done not only by using sinful means to achieve something, but also by relying too much upon our own strength or abilities. The life of the Spirit is a delicate balance of diligence coupled with a God-honoring attitude of waiting -- a waiting that does not fret or complain. And, even if we never obtain the lofty goals we set for ourselves, we have a still greater treasure if we are truly trusting in God:
But if, while other men's affairs flourish, he makes but slight advancement, or even slips back, he will still bear his low estate with greater equanimity and moderation of mind than some profane person would bear a moderate success which merely does not correspond with his wish. For he indeed possesses a solace in which he may repose more peacefully than in the highest degree of wealth or power. Since this leads to his salvation, he considers that his affairs are ordained by the Lord. [3]Our affairs, as Calvin said, "are ordained by the Lord." This is our comfort in life. God is never far from any one of us:
O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139As we discussed recently, the Bible is filled with prayers of judgment, and Psalm 139 reveals David's contempt for the wicked. Yet, he asks God to search his heart to "see if there be any wicked way in me." David wants his prayer of judgment upon the wicked to be a pure and holy anger -- the same kind of anger that God has. But, David also wants to be "led" in the everlasting way. He does not want to gain his objectives by traveling the same path of the wicked. He wants prosperity God's way.
The foundation to David's trust in God was his clear knowledge that God had been near to him since he was in his mother's womb. There was no place David could go where the presence of God would not be closer than his own nose. Therefore, David had to wait upon God. And when his soul began to fret and complain, David behaved and quieted it as a child weaned from its mother's milk. Such a child has learned contentment. It has learned to be satisfied in God alone while equally desiring and believing for His plans to develop.
This is the balance for which we must strive. Our contentment is found in the knowledge that we eternally belong to Christ, and despite the slow going development of God's plan for our lives, we are assured that God knows what is best for us. At the same time, we must also pursue with godly diligence the path that is laid out before us. Waiting upon God should never become an excuse for our not being faithful with our talents and giftings. Waiting upon God should not be equated with doing nothing. We can be very active while retaining a heart attitude geared to waiting upon the Lord.
So, what are your life plans? What would you enjoy dedicating your life to? If it's godly, and leads, as Calvin says, to a life of innocence, then make preparations and be diligent about your affairs. All the while, maintain an attitude of submission and humble waiting. God is blessed when our hearts reflect the image of a worshipful waiter:
Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My doors, waiting at My doorway. Proverbs 8:341. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Edited John T. McNeill, Translated Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1960), 699.
2. Ibid., 699f.
3. Ibid., 700.
