We are to thank God, enjoy his blessings, and steward them well, using what gifts he has given us for his glory, not hiding them away or denying they exist. Still, there is a fine line between having confidence in God-given abilities and beginning to take credit for them ourselves.
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God… Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert… He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat… You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth… (Deuteronomy 8:10-18)
When we fail at something, our natural tendency is to say, “It wasn’t my fault.” But when we are successful, we’re often quick to take the credit, even if it’s only on the inside. There’s a little voice that whispers in our ears that we deserve the praise and rewards. After all, we worked very hard to achieve them! Look at the years of education and practice we put in, not to mention at least metaphorical blood, sweat, and tears.
That voice is the enemy encouraging us to pride. For who made all those things possible? Who gave the natural ability to start with? Who gave the capable brain, the healthy body, the required personality traits? Who gave access to education or the favorable economy? Who gave the encouragement and fortitude to push forward?
Not one of us can conjure up these things out of thin air. Only God can do that. Only God can give life in the first place.
Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. (2 Corinthians 10:17-18)
Without God, we can do nothing. Without God, we would not even exist. Without God’s intervention, we would all be hopelessly lost, sinners condemned. Remembering this leaves no room for pride or vanity.
Let Us Pray
Father in heaven, for Jesus’ sake, keep us from the twin sins of pride and vanity by making us ever mindful of our true condition. The enemy would deceive us, encouraging us to think better of ourselves than we ought. But to you alone belongs all the glory, now and forever. Amen.
Let Us Praise
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. (The Common Doxology, 1674, Thomas Ken of Winchester College)
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Gratitude and Contentment
Give us a thankful sense of the Blessings in which we live, of the many comforts of our Lot; that we may not deserve to lose them by Discontent or Indifference.
I don’t live in a grand style, but I know that I am blessed with more comforts and conveniences than the majority of people in the world – present and especially past. I turn on the faucet and clean, drinkable water comes out. I flip a switch and I’m almost guaranteed there will be light. There’s food in the refrigerator, a reliable roof over my head, a car I can drive to get where I need to go, and generally enough money to pay the bills. Although I try not to, it’s easy to take for granted things that have nearly always been there for me.
But who do you suppose most appreciated the comfort and luxury Mansfield Park provided – the Bertram children, who were born to it, or Fanny Price, who had known poverty and deprivation? While Julia and Maria bickered about who should sit where in their fashionable carriage and which one of them should have the best part in the play they were putting on for their own amusement, humble Fanny felt deep gratitude for the simple things and the smallest acts of kindness – a favor done for her brother, being spared an ordeal, the warmth of a good fire in her no-frills attic room:
While her heart was still bounding with joy and gratitude on William’s behalf, she could not be severely resentful of anything that injured only herself…
This was an act of kindness which Fanny felt at her heart. To be spared from her aunt Norris’s interminable reproaches! He left her in a glow of gratitude…
The first thing which caught her eye was a fire lighted and burning. A fire! It seemed too much; just at that time to be giving her such an indulgence was exciting even painful gratitude. She wondered that Sir Thomas could have leisure to think of such a trifle…
These three references in Mansfield Park (chapters 31 and 32) are only a few of many expounding on Fanny’s gratitude and thankfulness.
Among modern-day readers, Fanny Price may be Jane Austen’s least admired heroine. Today’s popular culture teaches us to prize assertiveness not modesty, to demand our ‘rights’ instead of being content with anything less than the very best. And yet Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), taught us quite the opposite. He said blessed are the humble, the meek, those who seek righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who suffer persecution for doing right.
Doesn’t this describe Fanny perfectly, even down to suffering for doing right? Remember how she received her cousins’ censure by refusing to participate in the play (which would have been an assault on her modesty, and of which she knew her uncle would disapprove). Think of how she quietly endured Aunt Norris’s constant persecution and her uncle’s displeasure and punishment over her refusing Henry Crawford’s proposal. Among Christians at least, perhaps pure-hearted little Fanny should be Jane Austen’s most admired heroine.
Jane Austen knew hardships – economic and otherwise. Although the practical necessity of having something to live on is a common theme in her books, her heroines demonstrate her own sentiments by prizing love in marriage above great wealth and its trappings. Austen herself lived out this credo when she turned down a proposal from a very wealthy young man she couldn’t esteem, thereby choosing genteel poverty instead. From today’s prayer excerpt, we see that she rightly counted the many comforts she did enjoy as blessings from God for which to be thankful. She was also conscious of the danger discontent and ingratitude represented.
Here again, popular culture leads us astray. The raging cult of celebrity, promoted by all forms of media, trains us to admire the rich and famous, making idols of our sports and entertainment stars (many of whom set very bad examples). Home improvement shows teach us to be discontented with our houses and everything in them. Personal make-over features imply we should be dissatisfied with how we look. And advertisers offer to come to our rescue, selling us the car, makeup, deodorant, cosmetic surgery, house, vacation, dating service, and latest smart phone we can’t possibly be happy without. This flies in the face of godly wisdom.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:6-10a)
Have you ever fallen into the trap of discontentment? Do you feel an unhealthy desire for more and more material things? Has too much spending resulted in debt or perhaps conflict with your spouse? Always striving after more prevents us from appreciating the many good gifts God has already given us, chief among these, our restored relationship with him through Jesus Christ. True satisfaction grows out of gratitude for what we have, not from getting everything we want.
Does this mean it’s sinful to make a lot of money or have the ambition to be successful? No, not if these things are used for God’s glory instead of our own. But no one is given success only to bestow accolades and luxuries upon himself. Here is the superior joy God wants us to experience: It is more blessed to give than to receive
(Acts 20:35).
Let Us Pray
Heavenly Father, you are the giver of all good things. As we go through each day, help us to notice and appreciate every blessing as from you, not taking even the basic necessities or simple pleasures of life for granted. Root out any seeds of discontent, and give us hearts of gratitude to generously share what we have with others in the name of Christ. Amen.
Let Us Praise
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalms 16:5-6)
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A Most Fortunate Creature
Be gracious to our Necessities…
Human beings are very needy. And although we may work hard to be sure our basic daily requirements – food, water, housing, health care, transportation – are met, so much remains out of our control. Even if we’re doing well now, there’s no guarantee about the future. Whether we like to admit it or not, at any moment some unforeseen disaster could change everything.
The death of Mr. Dashwood immediately and dramatically changed the fortunes of his wife and daughters in Sense and Sensibility, although they were hardly left in doubt of their next meal. The Austen character living closest to true poverty is probably Miss Bates (and her mother), who had come down a long way from her previous position (financially and socially), when her notice was considered an honor, according to Mr. Knightley.
“…Were she your equal in situation – but, Emma, consider how far this is from being the case. She is poor; she has sunk from the comforts she was born to; and, if she live to old age, must probably sink more. Her situation should secure your compassion…” (Emma, chapter 43)
If you’ve read Emma, you know Jane Austen didn’t spare the reader from experiencing how annoying Miss Bates could be with her incessant talking. After persevering through a few of her excruciatingly long monologues, it’s easy to understand Emma’s assessment that Miss Bates is an unfortunate blend of the good and the ridiculous. Her chief defect is easy to identify, but consider Jane Austen’s description of her other qualities:
Her youth had passed without distinction, and her middle of life was devoted to the care of a failing mother, and the endeavour to make a small income go as far as possible. And yet she was a happy woman, and a woman whom no one named without good-will. It was her own universal good-will and contented temper which worked such wonders. She loved every body, was interested in every body’s happiness, quick sighted to every body’s merits; thought herself a most fortunate creature, and surrounded with blessings in such an excellent mother, and so many good neighbours and friends, and a home that wanted for nothing. The simplicity and cheerfulness of her nature, her contented and grateful spirit, were a recommendation to everybody, and a mine of felicity to herself. (Emma, chapter 3)
What a glowing recommendation! I admit that I was a little surprised to read this again and rediscover the extent of Miss Bates’s admirable traits. She is good to her elderly mother. She works hard at stretching very limited resources to meet their needs. She has a contented and grateful spirit, which reminds me of Fanny Price. But what really caught my eye in this passage was how Miss Bates’s positive outlook in the midst of difficult circumstances makes all the difference – for herself and others. Her universal good will and contented temper work wonders, we are told. Her cheerfulness and grateful spirit make her a favorite with everyone she knows. And in turn, these things become a continual source of happiness for Miss Bates herself.
Although a piece of fiction, we can glean genuine wisdom and truth from this example. First, we see that attitude matters. As Proverbs 17:22 tells us, A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Also, what a person gives out to others affects what he or she receives back in return.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give; not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work… Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-12)
Miss Bates sowed generously in every way she could – perhaps with money in the past when she had it to give, but later, in her poverty, she continued conferring love, goodwill, and good humor to everyone in her path. Consequently, she received the same goodwill in return. She was always invited to the best social gatherings, despite the fact she could never afford to properly reciprocate. And she was treated with kindness and charity by those who had means (Mr. Knightley sending his carriage for her, gifts of food from Donwell and Hartfield). In this way, all were blessed – both the givers and the receivers – and God was glorified for his provision. I can hear Miss Bates’s overflowing expressions of thanks now.
“Oh! My dear sir, as my mother says, our friends are only too good to us. If ever there were people who, without having great wealth themselves, had every thing they could wish for, I am sure it is us. We may well say that ‘our lot is cast in a goodly heritage.’” (Emma, chapter 21)
How delightful to discover Miss Bates quoting what sounds very much like a version of Psalms 16:6, which I just used myself a few pages ago! I have gained a new respect for her, and I hope you have as well.
Let Us Pray
Oh, God, source of all blessings and sustenance, give us joyful and grateful hearts. Out of the abundance you have in your grace given us, inspire us to generously sow seeds of kindness and compassion in Jesus’ name wherever we go. Amen.
Let Us Praise
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (Psalms 107:8-9)
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Armor On
…guard us, and all we love, from Evil this night.
What comes to mind when you see the word ‘evil’? Probably the very incarnation of it: Satan himself and his agents at work in the world. And certainly that definition fits this prayer petition, especially since ‘evil’ is capitalized, like a proper name.
When I performed a search for the word in Jane Austen’s novels and her other preserved writings, I was surprise to find it used so frequently – well over one hundred and fifty times. And yet, when I looked at the context, nearly all of the uses are milder than the definition above. When Mr. Darcy tells Lizzy, “There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil…” he doesn’t mean we are all possessed by Satan. When he later confesses to her, “I readily engaged in the office of pointing out to my friend the certain evils of such a choice,” he doesn’t mean to imply that he warned Bingley that Jane Bennet was the devil’s handmaiden!
In these and most other cases, Austen intended another definition of evil: morally wrong, a misfortune, or something unpleasant or disagreeable. Although, in a broader sense, they are one and the same, aren’t they? Satan’s influence played a key role in man’s original sin in the garden and, by extension, every disagreeable thing we do or experience in this fallen world. When we look at a character like Henry Crawford, it’s not difficult to imagine the evil one behind the scenes, pulling the strings.
Midway through Mansfield Park, Crawford has already deliberately ruined the peace and harmony of the Bertram sisters (and would go on to do worse later), and yet that is not enough for him. He tells his own sister,
“And how do you think I mean to amuse myself, Mary? ...I do not like to eat the bread of
idleness. No my plan is to make Fanny Price in love with me… I cannot be satisfied without Fanny Price, without making a small hole in Fanny Price’s heart… Her looks say, ‘I will not like you, I am determined not to like you’; and I say she shall… I… only want her to look kindly on me, to give me smiles as well as blushes, to keep a chair for me by herself wherever we are, and be all animation when I take it and talk to her; to think as I think, be interested in all my possessions and pleasures, try to keep me longer at Mansfield, and feel when I go away that she shall be never happy again.” (chapter 24)
What arrogance and callousness! What self-serving vanity! Even his sister Mary – no paragon of virtue herself – recognizes it as a wicked project. Fortunately, Fanny is not led astray by Crawford’s charms. But no one else sees what he’s up to; his gentlemanly appearance and pleasingly good manners disguise his true character and evil intentions. No wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Many today don’t believe in hell. They scoff at the idea that the devil exists, that he is a distinct being who has set himself up in opposition to God, not just an attempt to conveniently encapsulate, name, and blame something for the darker aspects of our existence. But the Bible is clear; Satan and his kingdom (hell) are real, and we ignore that fact at our peril. Revelation 12 tells us he is the great dragon… Satan, who leads the whole world astray. In John 8, Jesus calls him a murderer from the beginning… a liar and the father of lies. 1 Peter 5 warns us your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
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