The Great Gain

1 Timothy 6:6 - Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment.

Amy is the most content person I know. Me, not so much.

In my recent musings I have come to the conclusion that there is a lot to say about contentment and wonder why the subject doesn't grace our pulpits more. Now, CHANGE, that's a subject matter we can't seem to get over. And we talk about it so much that we have all forgotten how to be thankful for what is right in front of us, and this memory lapse in hopes of a better tomorrow with touch of disgust for the moment. If we are not careful the whole idea of wanting something else can become equally awful.
It's impossible to jump over the idea of Godliness. This should be the believer's first love and pursuit. However, Godliness in the human is hard to define, and it's a thin line between true Holy Spirit driven life and self-righteous religion. So in one's pursuit of godly living, contentment is key. Why? Because the contentment grants the believer a holy satisfaction at what God chooses to give and take away in the process itself.
There is not a single person that is in true pursuit of God that doesn't wrestle with dissatisfaction and holy discontent. I call it holy becasue the believer should want to progress in his or her walk. This is a good feeling of discontent, nonetheless, the scripture says that godliness with contentment is great gain, not godliness with discontent. It is important for us to realize that our yearnings for "something more" can easily cross over into unholy discontent, which leads to jealousy, bitterness, strife, and all sorts of ungodly comparsions with other believers. And, God forbid, it leads to us trying to manipulate God so that our ideals can be realized. Of course, none of us have ever seen that in the church, right?
So, are you truly content in your pursuit of godliness? Is this fearsome duo of character so alive in you that you can refer to it as great gain? This Thanksigivign I invite you to join me in taking a deep breath, enjoying every moment in an overflow of thanks to God for everything he has given. Give thanks for everything that is progressing in you. Sure, we all have a "long way to go". But my friends, we will all get there...if we learn to pursue in contentment and find this truly GREAT GAIN!