When you see the word “nestle,” two images may come to your mind. The first is that of creamy condensed milk, which is popular in some countries. The other is that of rest. Nestle, when used as a verb, bears the idea of snuggling, finding a niche and resting there. The image is of a mother hen scratching around a limited circumference on the ground until the area is just right. She then nestles her body into that area with her chicks snug underneath her. A hen nestles upon her eggs to keep them warm so that they can hatch. Having grown up on a farm in Jamaica, I remember the imagery quite well. As a little girl, I would sit on a bench or stone and watch the hens as they went clucking away while making their nests at the same time. By the time the nest was made, the hen would nestle comfortably in it with a look of contentment.
Christians are called to be content, but in order to do so, we must be willing to accept all that comes from our Savior’s hand. We learn to be content when things are going very well. When our bank account is well rounded and health is at its peak. We also learn to be content when we are ailing and the money has drained from our savings. We learn to be content when we lose the ones we love, and when we lose the things we treasure. Paul tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim 6:6). Here, Paul talks about ministers who were exploiting others Christians for their own benefits. These ministers were probably itinerant preachers who expected to be paid for their preaching. It is not that Paul did not want them to be cared for. As a matter of fact, he encourages Christians to give to those who teach them (1 Tim 5:18). Rather, Paul speaks against those who taught error for profit. They were men who preached the Word, and who had an air of godliness. They were fake. They were in it for the money. Those were men who were exploiting those early Christians and they are men we should avoid today.
Why is it gainful to be content? It keeps us from falling into worldly error. It keeps us from being ungrateful. It keeps us from using others. It keeps us humble, satisfied, and spiritually healthy. When we learn to be content, we learn to nestle in God’s care. We learn to trust him, believe that he knows what is best for us, and wait on him. When the hen is sitting on her eggs she is in no hurry. She gets up to eat and relieve herself, but hen she goes right back on top of those eggs. Most of us learn contentment over time, as we learn to yield to the Holy Spirit, and walk with God. There is a certain beauty that is almost indescribable in men and women who have weathered many storms in their lives, and who have aged gracefully with the Lord as their Savior.
Our Savior saves us and teaches us through his Word the benefits of trust in him. We learn what it means to relax when the problems of life jolts us at every turn. I could not help but think of my life with God and how I respond to him during times of discomfort, while my husband and I were bathing our birds. We have two birds, Beanie and Strip. We decided to give them a bath, so we took their large, white, attractive cage into the garage where we intended to transfer them into the small yellow cage. It had been several months since they had gotten a bath and so I think they had forgotten the procedure. I could tell that they were in a state of wonder. They were not sure what was about to happen and they seemed jittery. Do you become jittery when God allows the unfamiliar to come into your life, and when you are not sure what is about to happen? We are told not to become anxious about anything, but that in everything, we should offer prayer coupled with gratitude, and tell God about our concerns (Phil 4:6-7).
Beanie and Strip were concerned. They resisted my husband, Charles, as he tried to get to them. I closed the garage door for fear they would fly away. As Charles placed them into the yellow cage and as I turned on the faucet and warm water sprayed their feathers, they began to enjoy the process. They fluttered and chirped happily. They began to enjoy the bath. Do you only become comfortable when you think you know how things are going to work out for you? Do you flutter around with worry and anxiety and fritter your time away complaining to friends when you are unsure about your future? The Psalmist tells us to trust in the Lord, to wait patiently for him (Psalm 27:14).
Beanie and Strip were content in the bathing cage, until we decided that it was time to return them to their white cage, which now had fresh bedding on the bottom. While they were enjoying their baths, their cage and eating trays were being cleaned and filled, so that by the time were restored to their familiar setting, their bird life would be comfortable. Well, they were not aware of all that, so they began to pick at Charles and tried to resist his grasp. He gently grasped Beanie, and I took a towel and began to dry her and stroke her head. Eventually her body stopped its quivering and she just peered up at us as if in appreciation. We did the same thing with Strip, only she was twice as resistant as Beanie and never seemed to appreciate the attempt to dry her feathers and stroke her head.
Eventually, both were returned and they were clean. We meant them no harm. Instead, we wanted to do something good for them. What do you do when you feel God’s grasp? When he places you in a position to get your attention, do you quiver and squirm in an attempt to release yourself from his grasp? When he strokes your heart with the Word, do you twist and turn and fix your gaze elsewhere, or do you focus your attention on what he is trying to do? Are you so preoccupied that you do not even recognize that God has you in his grasp? Beanie and Strip never got the idea of what we were doing until it was all over. They would have enjoyed the process more had they not resisted us so much. Understand, trials are not intended to be enjoyed. They benefit, but are not enjoyed. I have never heard anyone say they enjoyed a trial. The point is that trials, when approached objectively and spiritually, can become a tool for growth and a period of joyful perseverance. Both James and Paul associate joy with trials. James 1:2-4 tells us to consider our trials as all joy because of the product of perseverance and maturity. In Romans 5:3-5, Paul teaches us to rejoice in the midst of our trials because it produces perseverance, proven character and hope in Jesus Christ. There is a sense that when we focus on Christ in our trials, we grow closer to him and become more intimately acquainted with him. This intimacy brings about joy, peace, and hope. Hope is the intrinsic quality that keeps us stabilized and focused while sailing the turbulent seas. It is no wonder that Paul, in his epistle of joy, associates knowing Christ with knowing the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil 3:10).
When Beanie and Strip were in their bathing cage and were enjoying the bath, they did not learn to trust Charles and me. As soon as we attempted to take them out, they began to resist us again. Are you resisting God when he attempts to grow you. Please don’t. When God allows trials into your life, he wants to teach you something, not harm you. Learn from each situation, because if you don’t, you will continue to resist and stunt your growth in the process. The only way to grow up in God is to weather the storms with him, learn from him, and walk with him.