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. –Spurgeon
In this age, one Christian virtue that is fast
eroding is the golden virtue called contentment.
The media, no doubt, has contributed to this immensely. Ironically, even some
preachers tend to promote discontentment through their lifestyles and messages. Seminars and workshop that tends to indirectly discourage
contentment are organized in the name of the Lord. There is this indirect
encouragement of greed and lust that is going on especially on most pulpits.
There is this subtle push on congregants to lust after material possessions.
This is one of the devastating effects of the prosperity gospel which
has somehow equated material possessions with good standing with God.
I think the devil has taken advantage of many Christians
in this regard because of the misconception about contentment which has been
presented to the Church. Hence, I will like to state beforehand what
contentment is not.
What contentment is not?
Contentment does not imply
complacency. No. It doesn’t mean that you should not strive to improve or grow
in life.
Contentment does not remove or kill
ambition.
Contentment
is not anti-success and prosperity.
Contentment
is not bondage to the status quo.
Contentment does not stop you from
taking calculated and thoughtful risk. However, if you lack contentment, you
will go into uncalculated risks that might make you to lose what you already
have. That is why the rich who has mastered contentment always keep what they
have. But the rich or poor man who has not mastered it will always lose what
they have.
Contentment
is not losing touch with reality. It is not false
peace based on ignorance of the facts on ground.
Contentment is not an escape
route from the challenges of life, but rather, an abiding peace and confidence
in the midst of the storms that confront you.
So, what is contentment?
Contentment
is being satisfied with what you have, but never with who you are. It is being
grateful for each level while working towards a greater level. Because you
should never stop learning, growing nor scaling to greater height.
Contentment is a thing of the mind.
It is the driving force in the heart of a man. Contentment
is not determined by what one possesses. You can have little and be contented
while you can have much but be discontented, vice versa. So, contentment is
beyond material possession. It’s a state of mind.
Contentment is running in the same pace with
God while you have absolute trust in God’s faithfulness and timing for your
life.
Godliness
and Contentment
Godliness means having God and
having God’s kind of attitude to life and things. God is not lustful or greedy
and so you shouldn’t. Contentment must go along with godliness. When you lack
godliness, you cannot be contented
Godliness and contentment are the
opposites of lust and greed. Lust and greed are insatiable. Anyone that has
lust and greed will never be satisfied. It doesn’t matter how much such
possesses. This is what gives rise to people doing illegal things and illicit
deals. Greed makes people to lose the little they have in the bid of chasing
after what they don’t have. Many people have lost the little they have to
gambling and scammers because of lack of contentment.
Lack of contentment will:
1.
Lead to debt.
2.
Lead to all kinds of misfortunes.
3.
Make you a men-pleaser.
4.
Lead to unhealthy comparison.
5.
Distract you from fulfilling
purpose.
6.
Lead to carnality.
7.
Lead to misplaced priority in life.
8.
Lead to inability to differentiate
between wants and needs.
9.
Lead to bondage to poverty.
10. Ruin
one’s Christian faith.
11. Make
one a victim of scammers and lead to illegal deals
12. Make
one a slave of mammon, the god of money.
“But
godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the
world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we
will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and
a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and
destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people,
eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many
griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the
faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made
your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1
Timothy 6:6-13.
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