Contentment vs Longing

1 Timothy 6:6-10 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.

Wow! This scripture is actually packed with some good stuff! Let’s talk about it!

I did some research on what it means to be content and to sum it up, it means to be satisfied with what you have. To be content means to be pleased and comfortable. On the other hand, when we long for something, there is a craving or a yearning within us. Longing for something is an intense passion and leads to lustful feelings.

So just think about it, what’s one thing that you dream about often? One thing that you are hoping to happen ASAP?  That one thing that you feel would make everything better or solve all your problems? That is what you are longing for. It could be a job, a house, a child, a spouse, happiness, or money. And there is nothing wrong with these things and I think honestly, God is interested in the desires of our heart. He made us so nothing we can say will be a surprise to him. He wants to hear what we desire. But part of that conversation with God about our desires should cause a shift.

God wants our hearts to be aligned with His Word. When we long for something, we spend time thinking about it and slowly it starts to consume our thoughts. And once our thoughts are consumed, our actions follow suit. We begin to make all our decisions with those longings in mind. We become so fixated on that thing we are longing for, that it takes the place of God. At this point, we no longer have our eyes and ears open to what God is showing us in the moment because we are infatuated with our own desires.

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. He will make your righteousness shine like dawn, the justice of your cause like noonday sun. Psalm 37: 4-6

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

God wants our priority to be His Kingdom. Our first business is kingdom business. When we seek the kingdom of God and delight ourselves in His Word, we begin to have a shift in thoughts. The Holy Spirit will begin to align what we want with what God wants. As we spend more time with God, he reveals more of himself to us.

In 1 Timothy, it says that godliness plus contentment is great gain. When we are focused on what is missing or gaining more, we cannot be content. How can we remain Godly if we are not content with what we have? It starts in the heart. As we allow God to change our hearts, our minds will become Christ-centered.

The second part of this verse tells us that when we desire to be rich, we fall into temptation that leads to ruin and destruction. That’s a hard pill to swallow because I’m sure we would all love to be rich. Who doesn’t want to have more money to do whatever, whenever?! But God says it’s the desire that leads to ruin. The verse ends with “some people craving money have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”  

But if you put that into perspective, it makes perfect sense. Longings can quickly become idols. God knows that when we want something really bad, it becomes our main focus. Sometimes that means that we go after these desires by any means necessary, regardless of the consequences. So we begin to walk outside of God’s will and do things our own “fleshly” way. God wants us to remain close to Him and not stray.

So how do we remain content in a world full of so many earthly desires?

1. Delight ourselves in the Word of God. When we delight ourselves in the Word of God we allow the Holy Spirt to fill us up. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have less room for lust. We begin to fall so in love with the goodness of God we realize that He is really all we need.

2. Practice gratitude. Of course, more earthly things seems satisfying, but a grateful heart leads to humbleness and thankfulness. He is more than enough.

3. Trust God. Talk to God about your desires and longings. Trust that God can do all things and if it is in His will for your life, it will happen. Psalms 145:19 says He fulfills the desires of those who fear him.

4. Seek first the Kingdom of God. Make God’s business your business and he will supply all your needs.

5. Practice! It’s not easy, but it is beneficial. When we practice being content, we are seeing God’s goodness in all things! It requires both strength and courage.

   
   

Remember, there is nothing wrong with having desires, dreams, and wants. It’s what we do with these things that will determine what we put our trust in!

How will you practice contentment?

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