Man of Constant Sorrow

One of my favorite movies of all time is, “O Brother, Where Art Thou”. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, I will watch it again. I like the actors, I like the story line, I like the humor and yes, I like the music too. My favorite song in the film is, “Man of Constant Sorrow”. It’s a sad song with a happy ending, but it is pure joy from start to finish when performed by the Soggy Bottom Boys! One of the lines in the song says, “For six long years I’ve been in trouble, no pleasures here on earth I found”. I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life that those lyrics rang true.

The apostle Paul was no stranger to troubles and trials. In 2 Corinthians 11:22-28, Paul gives us a snapshot into some of the things he was called upon to endure.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

The truth is, Paul like us endured many things that were beyond his control. The key is how to deal with the stress of life without letting it steal our peace and joy.

We see one such time in Romans 9:1-5.

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Paul had great sorrow and continual grief in his heart over the fact that his countrymen, the Jews, had by and large rejected Jesus Christ. He had done his dead level best to teach them, but they didn’t listen. He would have gladly been accursed from Christ if had meant their salvation. At the end of the day, he had taught them and shown them by his example as well as prayed for them. In the final analysis, he had done all he could do and his conscience was clear.

However, just like the Soggy Bottom Boys, we all to often bring grief on ourself. Paul didn’t want that for “his own son in the faith”, Timothy. God doesn’t want that for us either. In 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Paul gives us a warning.

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain”. In context, Paul tells us to be content with food and clothing. Well, what about a home, what about a car, what about a phone, what about… We bring many sorrows on ourselves when we seek to find contentment outside of God.

I guess it all comes down to having a good conscience, being content with what we have, and doing both in Christ. Paul had all the world could offer and he gave it all up to follow Jesus. Stress and sorrow are going to come. The question is, how will we respond when it does? Let us follow the example of Paul as he followed the example of Christ and let us all “meet on God’s golden shore”.