But godliness with contentment is great gain.  1 Timothy 6:6

“You deserve it!” “Splurge a little!” “Why be boring, fat, ugly, gray-haired, poor, and using the wrong dish soap when you could be the most dazzling creature on Planet Earth with our product!” We are bombarded with reminders that we are not quite enough and that it is wrong to be content with what we have. The message seems to be: You shouldn’t be happy with your house-car-hair color-deodorant-insurance plan when it could be so much better. So we scramble to keep up even if it means going into debt, discarding a perfectly good whatever, or swapping spouses. Discontentment drives Wall Street and fuels the economy, but it makes for a miserable personal existence. To our detriment, we’ve left contentment behind with the telegraph.

Contentment is not apathy. Contented people are eager to change what needs changing, but they’re satisfied if things stay the same. Contentment is not a state of finances, relationships, or circumstances. It is a state of mind brought about by this attitude: “God will provide everything I need. So if I don’t have it, I don’t need it.” That’s why contentment paired with godliness is a worthy goal. Godly contentment is focused on the Ultimate Provider. It lives in hope knowing that everything will soon be better, if not in this life, then the one to come. It recognizes that nothing on this earth will fully satisfy, so it is willing to wait for God’s reward. Contentment places little value on things that won’t last, but invests all it can in eternity.

Final Thought:  Godly contentment is the highest rung on the success ladder.

Prayer: Father, I get so focused on this life and the things I want that it is hard to be content. Help me lift my eyes to a higher goal. Keep me mindful that this life is temporary. My real fulfillment comes in heaven, so I can wait. In Jesus’ name, Amen.