Contentment

Contentment

The idea of contentment has been on my mind a lot lately.

We are facing many uncertainties.

Uncertainty about illnesses threatening people everywhere,
Uncertainty about political issues causing turmoil in many places,
Uncertainty about the weather, storms, cold, heat, and fires
Uncertainty about whether to do certain things or refrain.

Amidst all of this, there is the normal pressure of life.

Pressure to succeed,
Pressure to do more,
Pressure to conform,

1 Timothy 6:6 says that godliness with contentment is great gain. In times like these it’s easy to see why. Discontent surrounds us and that can feel overwhelming.

When life was throwing a lot of hardship at Paul, he found that he was able to learn through it. His faith was in Jesus Christ alone and by the indwelling Spirit of God, Paul found that he had learned to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself. (see Philippians 4:11) From this place, Paul was able to edify, encourage, and equip the saints even when he was imprisoned.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:11 we read a few tips for making our lives easier and more fragrant to others.

Living quietly,
Minding our own business,
Working at our job, or whatever it is we are drawn to
Walking honestly among those in the world.

All these things are aligned with the spiritual fruit Father is producing in us. They harken back to the words Father gave to the prophet Micah.

It is good to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Father. (see Micah 6:8)

Parenthetically, we walk humbly with Father not when we belittle ourselves or the ways we participate with Him in what He is doing.

We walk humbly with Father,
When we depend on Jesus as the source,
When we cease striving and rest in His finished work,
When we let His peace rule in our hearts,
When we walk by faith, secure in the knowledge that He is working in us whether we notice it right now or not.