Contentment?

How many people spend a lifetime seeking to be content? I include professing Christians in this question...

Genuine much less non-stop contentment is fleeting, that is, it comes and goes with our health, sport we play or teams we follow and root for, boss/es and co-workers at our place of employment, class instructors, our emotions and more. It's a moving target, no?

And yet Paul writes Timothy (1 Tim. 6.6) "godliness with contentment is great gain". So he ties godliness WITH contentment... hmmm...

There is something about the reality of the Holy Spirit, our own conscience and a sense we are living as the Lord Himself calls us to live- more and more like Jesus. Or not, thus not...

It's not mere fulfillment of our personal desires for health, great work conditions, easy-peasy classes, sweet weather and financial prosperity, it's not only about whether our local church is THE greatest or whether we're satisfied by our spouse, kids or neighbors. Contentment is about the -content- of our relationship with Jesus Christ. At core, if that relationship isn't our focus, WE are.

Not getting what we want cannot take precedence over our daily interaction with the Lord and when we allow it to do so becoming non-content is a sure result regardless of the practical way it manifests.

How could Paul and Silas with feet in the stocks sitting in a dark, filthy Phillipian prison bring them to sing psalms to God at midnight -after having been horribly beaten with rods for bringing a money-supplying lady freedom from the devil- all due to the economic loss of her controllers and a riot by a mob? Yet they worshiped! The jailer and his house came to faith that very night -and well as Paul and Silas received their freedom!

You and I may not be provided an earthquake to change our circumstances but note the godliness of those two BEFORE their deliverance. They both believed the truth about Jesus' arrest and crucifixion. They understood from experience of co-laborers in the faith such as Stephen and others that there are times God allows not only persecution but actual death as His means of deliverance -and yet they sang in worship which was itself a direct witness to the other prisoners who heard them that night.

Being content has to do with the content, direction and focus of our heart!

Things to consider as we walk in this fallen, self-centered world? I believe so.

Godliness (God-likeness) with contentment is GREAT gain indeed!

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn