Contentment

"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."

1 Timothy 6:6-8

Out of all the feelings I could experience, the one I want the most is contentment. Happiness, excitement, love and surprise are all wonderful feelings that I savor and only wish they could last longer. Recently though, contentment has been the one thing/feeling that I want. Because with contentment, what do you really need?

It is not a profound idea, Apostle Paul was writing to Timothy about it thousands of years ago. Regardless of what people say...contentment is what we want. It is what I want. Lately God has been teaching me to be content and I have enjoyed this lesson.

Contentment is Jesus.

Contentment is long strolls, warm cookies, a best friend to talk away the night (and morning) with, a baby's laughter, warm cookies, dates/movies with your parents (alone time with them is treasured even more so because having five kids does not leave an ample amount of individual time), smiles, jokes, wonderful people, breathing, laughing, family, time devoted to me from a friend, waking up in the morning knowing everything is going to be okay, blessings, blessings and more blessings.

Uncontent-is there even a word for not content?!

Being content is a treasure that should be searched for! What happiness we could all afford if we were content? Nothing I have now will go with me when I die. The clothes, the stuff, the clutter...none of it (Thank God) will follow me to Heaven. If it did, then I would be putting a lot more stock in it! I would get as much as I could so that when I arrived at the Pearly Gates, God would look at me, smile and say "Well done, my faithful servant! You have acquired all this stuff for my glory, well done, well done." Thankfully, we can into this world naked and naked we will leave it (figuratively, of course). What matters are the relationships and people. Every person we meet is part of our plan. God knew we would meet. He puts people in our lives to spur, edify, admonish, teach, and help us become the people God wants us to be.

I may find a person frustrating but God put that person in my life. It could be so that I could learn patience or to love more like Christ. It may be to give them a friend and a way to God. Who knows?

With contentment we can be powerful. We can be happy. True contentment can only come in the face of God. It is only when we find Him and stay with Him that our hearts are content. It is a struggle, the world tells us what we need to be happy. God is teaching me. I wish I was perfect but then life would be too boring. What else do you truly need, in this life time or the next, if you have everything in the One who has made everything?

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, To love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8