The Greener Grass Conspiracy

Over the past few months I have been continually convicted about many things while here in Haiti.  One theme that seems to be recurring is my level of contentment (or lack thereof).   I find myself oscillating from reading about missionaries who gave their lives for the cause of the Gospel and then adventures of businessmen such as Steve Jobs, Sam Walton etc.  On the one hand I feel lame because I am far removed from the daily trials of potentially giving my life for the Gospel so that an unreached people group might have the opportunity to hear the good news and then on the other hand I secretly envy the life and influence that a Sam Walton or Steve Jobs has had/made on the world.  Throughout our time in Haiti I have found that a slower pace has afforded me a great opportunity to read more than I have ever before.  One of the most recent books that I read through that happen to dealing with some of the issues in which I had been struggling, is the Greener Grass Conspiracy.

The Greener Grass Conspiracy: Finding Contentment on Your Side of the Fence by Stephen Altrogge(You can find it on Kindle here.)

I have never met Stephen, however I feel like we would get along well and share in a similar struggle for contentment.  His primary premise for the book is that our contentment must and can only be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and therefore cannot be found in our circumstances.   Stephen says that “Contentment is a disposition of the heart that freely and joyfully submits to God’s will, whatever that will may be.” In another place he nails it on the head, “Rather, contentment is inward, untouchable by circumstances, out of the reach of trouble. It can’t be stolen away by sickness or poverty, can’t be ruined by the loss of a job or house or spouse. Biblical contentment is not rooted in circumstances but in the infinitely stronger foundation of God himself.”  Taking the time to reflect on the fact that my contentment is “untouchable by circumstances” and “out of reach of trouble” has been liberating and convicting.  I have friends that are walking through recurring cancer with one of their children and as we have walked through another miscarriage and as we have said goodbye again to our family and friends returning here to Haiti just a few days ago,  I have to stop and ask myself is my contentment untouchable by circumstances?

Secondly, he makes the connection that the words that come out of our mouth are a great indicator of our level of contentment in the Gospel.  Specifically he deals with the topic of complaining.  These were a particularly difficult few chapters for me because I know that I tend to complain/vent/express my opinion (whatever it is that I call it).  He starts this chapter with a reference from Numbers 11:1 and he asks these questions…

“But what would cause God to strike down these people? They must have been engaged in a wicked pagan practice, like child sacrifice or moon worship. What wicked sin were they committing that would lead God to strike them dead? They were complaining. In Numbers 11:1 we read, ‘And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled.’”

Ouch.  He puts front and center that God takes seriously my complaining because it reveals something that is happening in my heart.  He goes on to say…

“Complaining is like smoke. Smoke proves there’s a fire somewhere, and complaining proves that discontentment is nearby. Discontentment and complaining go hand in hand. If we’re going to kill discontentment, we need to kill complaining.”

Finally, Stephen squarely deals with complaining and its sinfulness in these two statements.

“When we complain, we’re accusing God of hating us. Of not caring for us. Of not meeting our needs and not being a good Father.”

“When we complain, we’re loudly saying that the blessings of the gospel aren’t enough.”

That last statement has caused me to take pause.  It has forced me to ask myself is the Gospel enough.  Is the fact that God sent His sinless son to die a sinners’ death on my behalf and then be raised again from the dead to be seated alongside the Father in Heaven and ultimately offering me a relationship with the Father that otherwise I could not obtain, is that enough?  Can I find my contentment in that?  I pray to that end. 

-Scott