Learning contentment

About two weeks ago Vanessa's Lady's group did a study on contentment. Vanessa asked some good questions about contentment on her blog and I guess this is just some of my thoughts on contentment using a little help from 1 Timothy 6:6-8.



Now this probably won't be the most articulate blog on contentment but i will try to place into words the things that i have been thinking about and hopefully you will be able to draw some encouragement and insight from it.



"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."



Carl and I are currently memorizing these verses because we are at a place in life where it is very easy, and even natural, not to feel contentment with the things that we have. I also think it's important for us to have scriptural reminders implanted in our minds to help strengthen us when we do feel weak and are tempted to despair.



I am, especially right now, very torn in the area of being content. As i told a friend a few days ago, i have more now than I've ever had in my whole life, and for that reason alone i should feel blessed and even comforted. But that does not mean that i don't have days when I go shopping that i wouldn't enjoy having a little more...or where i don't want just a little more?



Why is that?



Why is it that scripture tells us that God has given us everything that we need for life and godliness through Him, His son, and through His word yet we want and still desire more?



Is it a sin to want more?



Well, i would say yes, and I would also say no. Yes because it can often be that desire for more that can cause us to become ungrateful and selfish and materialistic. No, because it can also often be that desire that can spur us on to better management. Better management of our time and resources and ultimately can cause us to glorify our Savior more.



So then how do we handle our desires? Is there a balance, a step by step guide to it. I'm not sure if there's a step by step guide of what to do or not to do but i would say that we should check to see if our desires are in line with God's desires.



How do we know what God desires...? Thankfully he's given us scripture to help reveal some of that.



That is why Carl and I are looking at the verses in 1 Timothy 6:6-8



"Now godliness with contentment is great gain. "



I'm going to throw a question out for everyone and i would like some input on it but why do you think Paul would say that godliness with contentment is great gain? Why is being content of such great importance that Paul would spend most of chapter 6 reflecting on it?



Now verse 7... "For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out."



This verse really shed some light into my heart and means a lot to me now that I am going to bring a life into this world very shortly. When we are born what possessions do we bring with us out of our mothers womb? Absolutely nothing. And yet God in his good graces whether or not we have the greatest families still gives us food and clothing. In some way shape or form He takes care of us in our weakest and most vulnerable states.



Now the opposite question...when we die what do we take with us? Absolutely nothing. So we're born with nothing and we leave with nothing but we still feel this desire to want something tangible. As a believer i still feel this desire to want more...Why is it?



I think some of that desire is good...God designed us to build and grow and be fruitful but at what point does it become not good. Is it to the point where we neglect our families and our friends, or is it to the point where we begin to wake up with the sole purpose of earning more money?



I also think that some of the unhealthy desires for more come from lies that our world tells us. Lies that if we only had this or that then we would get this or that. So our desire for more materialistically can often be caused for our desire for more internally.



When I was a little girl McDonald's came out with their monopoly game and it was the biggest craze of get more quick by just playing. Well, i got the Park Place piece and was only one more piece away from the Million Dollar prize, so at night i would pray that i would get the Board Walk piece. But the reasons why I really wanted the grand prize was because i thought that if my family was to finally "have it all" then we would finally get respect and children at school would no longer be able to pick on me because my shoes were old.



So sometimes we want more because there is an inner desire to be loved and cherished by others.



I believe that ultimately Jesus Christ can and does fulfill our deepest needs as humans.



Yet, i still struggle with wanting more.



I think it's hard not to want more of what the world tells us we should have more of but I try to remind myself of the truth of what we really need. Somethings i just want because they are convenient and other things i want because i really need them and i try to determine between the two of them now.



I often ask myself "Why do I want this..." And i try to see where my wants fit into my knowledge of what God wants and desires for me. And then I remind myself that what God wants and desires for me is not necessarily what the world wants and desires for me, or even that of what i want and desire for myself.



His ways are truly not ours...but they can be trusted.



"And having food and clothing with these we shall be content."



Notice Paul doesn't say anything about having shelter, of owning a home or of having a place to settle. That kind of scares me...I shared this with my husband and he graciously pointed out that he didn't think that Paul was saying that everyone should sell their homes and live on the streets. But more that Paul may have been referring to the life that he and many other apostles lived. Many of them took long journeys and they taught and preached and lived a life that of a nomad. And that he had learned to be content as such, realizing that this earth was not his home.



How would our perspectives on materials change if we lived our lives as Christians in this reality? This earth is not our home.



I find these verses challenging but also encouraging drawing my eyes off of myself and this world and placing them where they truly belong.



Having things and even having "more" is not necessarily an evil thing but when our lives are consumed by them we aren't looking towards the right things. I am challenged to constantly place my eyes where they belong and to let my life shine in that direction.





because " ...godliness with contentment is great gain. "