Malcontent

It was the reading of the Exodus story that started this thinking on contentment.  I was fascinated by the sudden change in lifestyles as Israel moved from the Land of Goshen, to being slaves, to freemen wandering in the desert.  

As I understand the story, I see the Hebrew people passing through four stages: from peaceful sojourners, to a threatened people, to slaves, and finally to enemies.  That is not the way it had to be.  Egypt could have taken a different strategy.  But insecurity and fear were the driving forces in Pharaoh’s decision making. 

As a result, the Egyptians content with the Hebrews as neighbors living in the Land of Goshen was replaced by discontentment with their presence. That discontentment eventually developed into malcontent.  That malcontent festered into oppression over the Hebrews.

Once free, the Hebrews soon allowed their new contentment in freedom to change to discontentment in the new “wandering” lifestyle, and that quickly developed in their also becoming malcontents.

Malcontent is a dark ugly word.  I cannot think of a positive use for the word other than, “I use to be a malcontent.”  The Egyptians and the Hebrews both demonstrate the curse of Fallen humanity.  Reflect on the first four chapters of Genesis noticing humanities decent from content, to discontent, to malcontent.

The prefix “mal” means bad or evil.  Here are a few synonyms for malcontent; troublemaker · mischief-maker · agitator · dissentient · dissident · rebel · discontent · complainer · grumbler · moaner · faultfinder · carper · stirrer· grouch · grouser · griper · nitpicker · bellyacher.

It does not matter what nationality, genetic makeup, or gender; these synonyms accurately describe the atmosphere where malcontents roam with the “deer and the antelope.”  Nothing good comes from malcontents!

If our nation had paid attention to the Word of God and the groanings of its enslaved expressing their discontent, and joined them in that discontentment they would have set the slaves free, and even more, cleared the way for them to fully participate in preamble of our Constitution.  But they did not!  So, discontent developed into malcontent and the contented white folks reacted by developing an unhealthy discontent that become malcontent, and racism was birthed in “the land of the free.”

Today, there are a bunch of malcontents spewing at each other.  Thankfully, there are far more discontented folks who are beginning to make the deep changes necessary to establish a true government where “liberty and justice” are for all, for each.  At least as far as humans can establish.

And that brings another thought.  Racism is here to stay if sin is.  We can, and we must, constantly work to minimize it, but fallen people will continue to act like fallen people until Jesus comes back.

There is one glitch here, malcontents do not know they are malcontents.  They see themselves as heralds of truth and righteousness.  Malcontents are blinded by their own biases.  They cannot change because they know they are right.  Until there is a “dying to self” there can be no peaceful living in harmony.  Just as “pride comes before the fall” so death, humility, come before a resurrection.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is working to humble the prideful.  More accurately, He is working to humble the pride in each of us.  Without Him there would be no hope for resolve.

I am one who is not contented with the way things have been and are.  We, the discontented, can change the course of this nation.  What holds families together will also hold nations together, a commitment to make sure every family member feels valued as they are and loved enough to become what they were created to be, objects of God’s affection and expressions of His joy.

Photo – I took this picture in 2012 but I do not remember the location.