Godly Contentment

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

                                                                           1 Timothy 6:6-8

In this world we live a life of materialism and personal gain. Always updating cars, phones, any and every electronic. Always wanting more and trying to make faster and bigger things. I personally love buying new clothes and having new outfits to wear all the time. But though I have these possessions now, my clothes, phone, car, house, jewelry; when I die I won’t have them anymore. For we came into this world naked and we are leaving the world in the same way. We can’t take any of these things with us. They first of all aren’t even ours to begin with! God has blessed us with them for the time being. So as it says in this verse, godliness with contentment is great gain. Living a Godly life and being content with what you have. Not always having to have the next big thing. But being thankful for what you do have and not taking it for granted. Now I’m not saying at all that it’s bad to buy new things, but if that’s all you do and all you spend your time and money on, then that is wrong. None of these things will ever fully satisfy me, so why must I always be getting the newest or greatest?! The Lord knows what we need and what’s best for us. He knows we need food as humans and that we need clothing for our bodies. Is God not a gracious God? For He says He will provide for us. And I trust that He will. I know I personally need to stop focusing so much sometimes on what I have in my closet and focus on what’s in my heart. For God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance. And if all we care is what God thinks of us then our heart is what we should be working on the most. Continually staying in check with where God wants us and living a life of godliness, for a life lived to glorify Him is much gain! As Paul says in Philippians, “whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”. He looked at everything he had and that he had accomplished and said it’s all garbage compared to knowing Jesus my savior. Finding more worth and value in His relationship with the Lord, than in his possessions. I pray I get to that spot, where I see Him as my ultimate treasure and reward. As Jim Elliot says- “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Application- memorize Philippians 2:7