The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment is a book written by Jeremiah Burroughs. It is available today as on a part of the Puritan Paperback collection. You can pick it up here.
Puritan Paperbacks really are a treasure for us today and should not be ignored because they are older books. If you don’t have any, then I recommend you pick some up. This book is the first Puritan book I read and I do not regret it.
I first read this book about 10 years ago at a time when I was really struggling to be content and it was so thoroughly helpful I wanted to share with you some of the two main reasons as to why.
Firstly, the Puritans write differently to how we do today. I’ve previously described the difference between the two styles as the difference between trying to secure something with either a drawing pin/push pin or using a this – the ASSY VG fully threaded 14mm x 1400mm (9/16″ x 55″) self-tapping screw.
Some people find this style difficult to adjust to but when you do adjust, the truths being taught are screwed in and secured deeply in your heart. I sometimes find the modern approach to writing quite shallow and therefore fleeting.
He defines contentment as follows:
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.
Jeremiah Burroughs
And then proceeds over the next couple of sections to split that definition up and explain point by point what each part means.
This way of explaining things, as I said, targets your mind, heart, will and affections and can lead to lasting change and growth in a way that is incredibly powerful.
Secondly, it is a theological book that is well-applied. Well-applied theology is incredibly practical for the long term and has deep roots meaning the application is far more powerful. Rather than being a straight practical book that targets how we live in the hopes of impacting how we feel, this book will correct and strengthen your understanding of who God is and how your relationship with Him works and what the purpose of life is.
This then impacts how you think and feel which in turn will impact your behaviour. We don’t learn strategies to combat discontentment, we have our view of God, the world and our lives changed so our temptation to be discontented is weakened.
We all struggle with discontentment over different things in our lives at different times. This book is by far the most helpful book you will ever read on the matter. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment – Jeremiah Burroughs.
