It’s Not About How Much…

Have you ever thought about what makes you content? Or maybe the more correct question would be is – what do you need to be content?

Maybe you find yourself in a chapter of discontentment. You wish your car ran better. You wish your house was more updated or looked like the neighbor’s down the street. You wish you looked better in the clothes you do have or wish you were a different size and could wear what your friend does. You wish…(you fill in the blank). Well…

Contentment isn’t found in how MUCH we have, but in how much we ENJOY what we have.

God has given us all that we need to be content and happy. He truly has. In fact, check out what 1 Timothy 6:6-10 says…

But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

And the Bible doesn’t lie. What if we honestly put into practice what that passage says? To not focus on money and what we don’t have, but enjoy what He has given us, knowing we CAN be content with that? WE CAN. We just choose not to be, which is foolish, to the point that people wander from the faith, due to their discontentment. Are you one of those people?

I know I can be. I can start to distrust God that He will provide all that we need. I can start to envy what others have because I don’t think I have “enough” (whatever that is). I think we all can wander to different degrees and end up piercing ourselves with many griefs. Why cause more angst in our life than what we have to? Why not just listen to what the Bible says?

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I’ve been pondering this idea. During chemo, I have spent countless hours in our home, reflecting on this time of my life. I see things that I want to improve in our home, which isn’t bad in and of itself, but for what gain? To be a good steward over what God has given me? Or to keep up? A question I have to constantly ask myself. And maybe you do too.

I encourage you to take a look at your own life and consider whether you ENJOY what you have, or just wish you always had more. For godliness with contentment is great gain. Let’s all strive for that as we seek to live contented lives.