Resting in His Purpose

By F. Wayne Mac Leod

Contentment is an art to be learned but one with which we often struggle in our Christian life. In this brief look at this important virtue, you will see that true contentment has often been misunderstood. You will discover that contentment is solidly rooted in humble submission to God and His purposes. This study will challenge you to examine your own life. Its goal is to help you to learn to rest in God's wonderful purpose and plan, for in this alone, can we truly be content.

• Language: English
• Publisher: F. Wayne Mac Leod
• Release date: Mar 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311491626

F. Wayne Mac Leod

F. Wayne Mac Leod was born in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada and received his education at Ontario Bible College, University of Waterloo and Ontario Theological Seminary. He was ordained at Hespeler Baptist Church, Cambridge, Ontario in 1991. He and his wife, Diane served as missionaries with the Africa Evangelical Fellowship (now merged with SIM) on the islands of Mauritius and Reunion in the Indian Ocean from 1985-1993 where he was involved in church development and leadership training. He is presently involved in a writing ministry and is a member of Action International Ministries.

Book preview

RESTING IN HIS PURPOSE

Learning to be Content in a Complex World

F. Wayne Mac Leod

Light To My Path Book Distribution

Smashwords Edition

www.ltmp.ca

Copyright © 2007 by F. Wayne Mac Leod

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licences for personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thanks for respecting the hard work of this author.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise specified, are taken from the New International Version of the Bible (Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used with permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers, All rights reserved.)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - What Do You Need?

Chapter 2 - Thirsting for God and His Purposes

Chapter 3 - Striving

Chapter 4 - God's Sovereignty

Chapter 5 - Contentment in Silence

Chapter 6 - Simplicity

Chapter 7 - Learning Contentment

Light To My Path Book Distribution

Chapter 1 - WHAT DO YOU NEED?

One of the greatest challenges in our, materialistic and self-centered age is to learn how to define our needs. Television and magazine advertisements have mastered the art of introducing us to needs we didn’t know we had. There is a world of difference, however, between what we think we need and what, in fact, we really do need.

This problem is not a new one. Materialism and greed have been a problem since sin came into this world. Listen to what the apostle James tells the people of his day in James 4:2-4:

You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Lust and need are not the same. Lust is an unhealthy and sometimes overpowering appetite. It is a consuming fire that never finds satisfaction. Lust can overpower reason or sensibility. Its craving must be satisfied at all costs. The people James mentioned in the passage above were willing to kill, quarrel and fight to satisfy their lustful appetites. They could not be content with what they had.

We can lust for many things in life. Most commonly lust is associated with an unhealthy sexual desire but it is not limited to this. We can lust for material things, reputation or pleasures of all kinds. Lust by its very nature is un-healthy and unbalanced. It can become an unbalanced obsession or god. If unchecked, it can control our thoughts and actions and determine the course of our life. Lust does not promote the overall wellbeing of the person it controls.

Needs on the other hand are necessary to our emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Food, shelter and love are basic needs we all have. Without these needs being met we will suffer as human beings.

If we are to learn to be content we must begin by distinguishing lust from need. Imagine the young child crying out for more candy. As a parent you know that a steady diet of sweet candy is not healthy for your child. At this moment, however, that young child is not interested in the healthy meal you have put before him. All he wants is the candy. Lust is somewhat like this. God knows what we need but, like this child, we are often not interested in what He says we need.

The world in which we live caters to our lusts. It presents us with its candies and tells us that we can’t live without them. All too many people have fallen prey to the temptations and unhealthy attractions of the world. If