What is Contentment?

1Timothy 6:6-10

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  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.

What do I complain about?

Our society is geared to make me feel a need when there really isn’t one.  When things aren’t the way I want them to be, my satisfaction with life destroyed.  To determine what represents contentment to me, examine what I complain about.  What do I think is unsatisfactory?  What do I think needs to change in order for me to be content?  What do I think I don’t have enough of?

Godliness with contentment is great gain. 

Godliness is being satisfied with God.  The word for contentment has the connotative meaning of raising a barrier, setting a limit.  It refers to raising both hands in a “stop” gesture to one’s servants to indicate that you’ve eaten enough food, that you’ve had enough.  Setting limits is difficult, but if I keep setting the bar higher and higher, I’ll never be content.

But, when I’m satisfied with what I have, I can focus on growing in the Lord; then, when I get more, it’s a blessing and I can be thankful and praise God.

For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 

I start my life naked and without food.  I end my life the same way.  Therefore, anything beyond food and clothing is a blessing.

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  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.

The alternative to being content is to seek money (and stuff); however, people who do so face temptation and harmful desires.  In this verse “evil” has the connotative meaning of “worthless things”—that is, when I love money, worthless things will come into my life.

The idea here is when I’m not content with what I have and my focus is on making money, I’ll be robbed of valuable things: time with my family, time with nature, and time with God.   Setting limits allows room and time for godliness.

When I have a sense of lack, it actually comes from wanting more of God, of wanting the feeling of being blessed (like Psalm 23). 

Action Items

§  Don’t buy any more food until I’ve eaten all of the food in my cupboards and fridge.

§  Don’t buy any more yarn until I’ve knitted everything I have.

§  Take note of what I complain about.

§  When I feel a lack, spend time with God.