It Grieves God
Godly Contentment – Part 2

Scripture Reading:  Philippians 4:11-13

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 6:6

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

The question I think all of us face in this concept of contentment is “how do I get there?”  I believe it starts with trust…trust that God will take care of me.  If I can believe that God will take care of me while I take care of hungry people, I will develop a sense of contentment.  The basis of much of our discontentment is fear that we won’t have enough.

Secondly, our flesh must surrender to the values of the kingdom of heaven, not the kingdom of this world.  Being human leads us to naturally want what others have; “keep up with the Joneses.”  But we must put some spiritual “blinders” on and not get distracted by what others are doing or buying.  We will stand before God someday and our friends won’t be there to defend us.  God will examine our lives and see what we did with our free moral will in determining how we decided to live!

Do a gut check today!  Are you content?  Is it a godly contentment that leads to sharing with others in need?  In our suggested reading in Philippians, the Apostle Paul said he had learned to be content.  Ask yourself if you have learned that same lesson.  How much do you need to store up before you’ll be generous with others?  Do some planning in this area and remember that God won’t forget your needs!

Father, I will learn to be content.  I will trust you with my future and be generous with others who have so little.  In Jesus’ name, amen.