But godliness with contentment is a great gain. - 1 Timothy 6:6
Is it good to be content? Well, I kind of like it, and when I reflect back on the American life that I have been blessed to lead, it sure seems to be the aim of everyone else!
Of course, I am also aware that there have been times in my life when my contentment might better be described as complacency. In other words, I was satisfied with life, but perhaps I shouldn't have been.
You see, while contentment would seem to be a good thing, it also has the potential to be deceptive and destructive. Paul told Timothy that "godliness with contentment" was and is a valid life aim. Understanding his words properly, I should then evaluate my life by asking not only, "Am I content?", but also "Am I content because I am godly?"
Find contentment in the life of Christ. Rest in His sanctifying grace, but don't settle. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling while daily seeking to be more like Him until you are with Him face-to-face.
We do not want joy and anger to neutralize each other and produce a surly contentment; we want a fiercer delight and a fiercer discontent. - G. K. Chesterton
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