“Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”—1 Timothy 6:6
I think that the best viewpoint of contentment
that I have heard is — only wanting what you have. Since most people are always looking to get
what they do not have, we, then, ask the question, how do you achieve godly contentment? How do you get to the point where you only
want what you have, and no longer focus on trying to keep up with what other
people have? I think that the best way to answer that
question is to look at Biblical examples, like Paul for instance. He came to place in his life – not a
physical place, but a spiritual place – where he felt divine contentment.
Contentment in God’s Word means
to be “self contained.” In the context of this passage, we learn that
Paul was thanking people for their love gifts to him, but he wanted them also
to know that he was not dependent upon them because God had brought him to a place of sufficiency in Himself alone. That is, Paul was able to say, “I have learned
that I do not need anything or anybody else, but the Lord. I have Him, and
therefore, I am self-contained, not self –sufficient. I can do all things through Christ.” Do you have contentment today in Christ alone?
Or are you trying to fill the void in your life by seeking things that
other people have? When we try to fill
the void in our lives by seeking things that other people have, we are
actually, seeking worldly contentment and not godly contentment.
The Scriptures sum up godly contentment
in the simplest of terms for us, that "having
food and raiment let us be therewith content" (I Timothy 6:8). Today, let’s repent for seeking worldly
contentment in things and not true godly contentment and ask the Lord to remove
any pride in our hearts.
Prayer—Father, I repent for seeking worldly
contentment in things and I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me from all
unrighteousness. Lord, I repent of pride
and every false way, cleanse me and make me new so that what I sincerely desire
is you and your sufficiency alone, in Jesus Name. Amen.
