HEALTHY DISCONTENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1047, 11 August 1930, Page 14

HEALTHY DISCONTENT

FORM OF COVETOUSNESS WHICH IS GOOD DESIRE ONLY THE BEST “CoFetousness is one of man’s easily besetting sins, and lr frequently mentioned with the grossest evils in the New Testament,” said the Rev. W. Avery, preaching in St. Pa/il’s Methodist Church, Northcote, vasterday morning. His subject was “A Healthy Discontent,” and his text ‘iCovet earnestly the best gifts,” from E. Corinthians, xii., 31. “There is a perversity about human mature,” said the preacher “We covet what is not for our truest welfare. We neglect the greater gifts. We covet Abraham’s wealth, but if was his faith which made him great, we covet Moses’s position in Pharoah’s court, yet it was his sacriflcia' service for Israel that endeared him to his people. We covet Ruth's social posi tion as wife of Boaz; it was in lovo and loyalty that she excelled Who would not welcome Solomon’s gold? It was his wisdom that made him famous. The call of our text is to seek the best, and be content with nothing less. Discontent with things that can't be helped is worse than useless. A healthy discontent with what can be made better, and a desire for ltn provement, is at the root of all progress. “Yet with all our learning there are vast continents of knowledge waiting to be explored,” continued Mr. Avery. “Said a great surgeon: ‘lt is not in our knowledge, but in our ignorance that we are profound.’ The call is to go forward. The satisfied sit still. A healthy discontent spells progress. There are some things about which we should be discontented. War is a blot on our 20th century civilisation Great movements are at work in these days to outlaw war, and the Christian Church is in the lead. “Then we are too well pleased with our characters. There is no discontent here. We are jealous at the superior wealth of our neighbours, at their better houses, and hats and motor-cars. But lose no sleep if they excel in character, if they are more kind, and gentle, and good than we. We should covet the best here, for character is life. “God requires that we put first things first. Man is a spiritual being. New Zealand beat Britain at football yesterday because it was better in skill. We compel our children to go to school that they may get the best training for the mind. Too often, in the realm of the spiritual we do not care. It is personality, character, soul that makes history. Material things are dead things, but personality is a living force. It is our lives, oqrselves that count. There are higher heights, and deeper depths, and broader breadths of spiritual experience within our reach. Let us be content with nothing but the best. “Then, we live in a world that needs our help. Two-thirds of the human family are still outside the Christian Church. Here we have the greatest problem for Christianity. More than half the human race are illiterate. What a problem for educationalists! More than half have little or no scientific knowledge of medicine or sanitation. What a problem for the philanthropist! The great uonChflistian world has little knowledge of the brotherhood of man, and none of the Fatherhood of God. Intemperance, gambling and impurity, this trinity of evil, have been responsible for the downfall of nations. These evils are eating at the heart of our national life today. As Christiau men and women we must covet the best. “We hear a lot about the good old days,” the speaker said. “There have been no days like the present. But the best days are yet to be. The call of God is to a healthy discontent, and a determination to improve A call to concentrated effort, and consecrated gifts and personality, so that the Kingdom of God may be established on earth—and the Christian Church must give the lead in all true progress.”