Content
“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10
When I graduated from high school, my mother and my Aunt Ruthie took me on a trip to Europe. We would be gone for two weeks, so I packed my large suitcase until it couldn’t hold one more thing. When I unzipped it – a mountain of clothes appeared. My mountain of clothes was much like the “mountain” that Laura tells us to create on packing day on our cabin porch.
I literally had to sit on my suitcase in order to zip it shut. My goal was to have a different outfit to wear each day and, if possible, even a few extras. Little did I know that I would be the one in charge of carrying it wherever we went. It didn’t have wheels. My packing genius turned out to be a huge blunder.
I didn’t need half of the clothes that I packed. Because my suitcase was so crammed, many of my outfits were too wrinkled to wear. By the end of the trip my bag was a wrinkly, wreck of clothes. The last week of the trip, I didn’t bother to fold anything before placing it back in the suitcase. More is not always better.
It’s easy for us to approach life the same way I approached my trip to Europe. We think that more is better—that the more we have the more content we will be.
Contentment is not something that comes to us naturally. It must be learned. Our society and culture make it difficult for us to be content. We are always being told that we don’t have enough. If we only had X, then we would be content.
The Bible says something altogether different. God calls us to be content in every circumstance. He wants us to be content now- not just in the future. God has provided His people with everything they need. Contentment is the evidence that we are who we say we are. When we are content it allows us to see the needs of others and serve them with strength and eagerness.
“You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” Charles H. Spurgeon
Are you content with what you currently have? Are you content with where you are? Do you need more? Who is taking care of you?