As of late, sometimes I find myself wrestling with those 6 words nestled in 1 Timothy 6:6.
Contentment is defined as “a mind contented or satisfied with its lot.”
This tells me that contentment has nothing to do with what we have and everything to do with our perspective, our mind, and our focus. The Bible has ssoooo much to say about our minds (Isaiah 26:3), the importance of renewing our minds in God’s Word (Romans 12:2), and focusing our minds on things of the Spirit (Romans 8:6).
I also love that definition because sometimes I find myself wondering what the “big picture” of my life will look like. Have you ever stayed up at night wondering that? Or my mind will fill with the kind of thoughts that only lead to emptiness and feelings of insufficiency: Am I enough? Am I doing enough? What should I do next? Have I done enough?
Sometimes I stay up wishing I could just have the “big questions” answered…the questions like: will _____ ever happen? when will _____ happen? because, if I had the answers, then I wouldn’t have to worry anymore, right? (Except I don’t think it really works like that. If I knew those answers it would probably cause more problems than it would solve…but that’s another topic.)
1 Timothy 6:6 always comes to my memory when I find myself wondering about these things. Like a rush, God’s Word stills my mind and quiets my heart: “godliness with contentment, is great gain.” And I am reminded to be content with my lot: to appreciate where I am, what’s in front of me, where my feet are, and the people I have around me and to let go of the unknowns — like the questions that lead me to ponder about the timeline of my life. I am reminded to trade my worry for trust — because there’s more to be gained through trusting than through knowing.
In the midst of the questions I always come back to:
godliness with contentment is great gain.
great gain: isn’t that what the world tells us it’s all about?
Isn’t that what we all feel like we should be chasing?
great. gain. ?
But the Bible says that great gain in God’s eyes looks nothing like the great gain we think we should be pursuing.
The gain that the world is chasing is self-focused and self-centered: all about my worth, my value, my success, and my plan. Contentment is often despised and replaced with comparison and covetousness. Think about it, if someone were to ask me: “How would you describe this season of life?” and I respond with: “content” I fear that word may be misunderstood as being unmotivated, complacent, directionless, or unambitious. Because too often we want something significant or flashy to show for our years lived.
But, with one verse, Jesus takes away all the expectations I’ve placed on myself and reminds me that it all boils down to:
godliness.
and
contentment.
What FREEDOM those 2 words bring!! When I’m focused on godliness then my eyes are off myself and as I pursue contentment then I am no longer concerned or worried with where I’ll be in the future or what my life will look like; I am simply resting and trusting God. Matthew 6:34 says:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
We will never be content today as long as we are worrying about tomorrow.
Philippians 4:6 says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” Instead of using my energy to worry, I can pour my energy into prayer.
“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength
carrying two days at once.
It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.
Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow,
it empties today of its strength.”
-Corrie Ten Boom
Only a few lines down in verse 11 of Philippians 4 Paul writes: “I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.”
That tells me that contentment has to be learned! It’s a continual learning process because circumstances are continually changing. Whenever a new circumstance comes sometimes it’s like I have to start back at the beginning and learn contentment all over again, which can cause me to think: “I thought I learned this already?! Why does it feel like I’m back at square one?!”
But I think that is why godliness and contentment is such great gain.
Because it is something that we can carry into each and every season of life.
The world cannot take it away.
People cannot take it away.
Circumstances cannot take it away.
When your contentment comes from Christ, it is immovable and unshakable.
I’m so thankful that He takes all that I’m concerned with and simplifies it into two words: godliness and contentment.
So. simple.
And as long as I’m focused on those two things,
the rest that I’m concerned with will fall into place in God’s timing.
I want to esteem and pursue what He views as most important, not what I desire or want to accomplish in my life.
“Contentment has an internal quietness of heart
– Joni Eareckson Tada
that gladly submits to God in all circumstances.”
Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
Romans 12:2 “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 8:6 “to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”