But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10 CSB)

Are you content with life? If you’ve been reading our posts, you may know that my pregnancy has been a hot mess the last few months. God has blessed me with the test of a lifetime: terrible prognosis after terrible prognosis for my baby. 

It went from “she probably won’t make it” to “we’re very sure she has down syndrome.” Then “she has a heart defect, but we don’t know how severe it is” to “she most definitely has downs, and a huge hole in the middle of her heart that will need surgery.” 

What a roller coaster. 

And if the definition of godliness is conforming to the character of God (in regards to our thoughts, feelings, actions, desires) I can tell you that this “godliness with contentment” is hard when things are NOT going as we have planned. 

But, Paul throws out some wisdom to back up this super hard expectation that he has for us: the reminder that without God, we have nothing. Nothing! That we should be content with what we call the bare minimum: clothes and food. 

Teaching kids to be thankful is so hard, right? My toddler is so picky, and so therefore won’t eat anything that doesn’t look like pizza or a chicken nugget. My husband on the other hand, the way he shows love is by cooking for people. It absolutely breaks his heart when our little three year old decides that daddy’s food isn’t edible, and would rather starve for the night than eat it. 

Do you see where I’m going with this?

The thing that’s hard right now. That thing that is making you discontent? Your marriage, your job, your house, all of those variables in life that aren’t quite how you wanted it? Those are answered prayers. God gave you these things as a blessing, and we allowed ourselves to become discontent in it. Just like my husband gave dinner to our kid and that little menace says “nah, the chicken nuggets in the freezer are better,” we’re doing the same thing. 

“No, that house over there would be better, God.” “Can I have this job instead? It pays better, God.” “Lord, this marriage is hard, can I just find someone else?” 

These thoughts? They’re greedy. And ultimately, that’s what discontentment is: getting greedy and wanting more than what God has blessed us with.

If that isn’t convicting, I don’t know what is. 

I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13 CSB)

Paul goes on in another letter explaining that because he’s learned the secret to being content: complete reliance on God.

David backs this up by saying:

Trust in the LORD and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. (Psalm 37:3-4 CSB)

Trusting His will, trusting His plan, trusting His desires for us. By delighting in Him and delighting in His will, we will desire Him more. More of His plans, more of His perfect blessings in His perfect timing. And He is faithful to give that to us.

Instead of focusing on the things we don’t have, we shift our focus over to what God has already given us. Suddenly the things that seem so overwhelmingly NOT okay, are okay because God is in the center of it.

Being a Florida girl, I immediately think of hurricanes when I hear the term “center of it.” And the center of the storm is always so calm, right? I remember asking my mom at least a half a million times, “Will the eye pass over us?” Who wouldn’t love that sudden silence? The almost instantaneous stop of everything around us. 

I was in it once. I remember being allowed to leave the little shelter of our hallway (the only place in our house that didn’t have windows) and seeing the trees suddenly stop convulsing. The windows didn’t sound like someone was beating on them anymore. All of the ambient noise we had been experiencing for hours at that point stopped, and it was calm.

God can be that for us, if we let Him. But, that has to be a conscious decision that we make. To lean not on our own understanding, but instead on His strength. To spend all of our time so completely devoted to God, that all we can focus on are the blessings and goodness He’s already given us. 

So, take time to do that this week. Focus on Him, and the prayers He’s already so faithfully answered for you. Focus on Him, and let everything else fall into place. I promise that no matter how hard or scary it is, you’ll make it to the other side with God still walking right alongside you.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 CSB)

We, as humans, are not perfect. Instead, we are weak and imperfect, especially in comparison to our God. But, we are instead gifted with an opportunity through this: to demonstrate God’s power through the hard times. Through the joy that we can have even when things don’t go our way, because we know that the One who knows all, knows exactly what’s in store for us. Even if it isn’t on this Earth, we know what’s promised to us through the salvation that Jesus has given us through His blood.