Godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)

Godliness is a God-centered life. It grows, not through the pursuit of a process, but through the presence of a person. Jesus Christ is the mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16).

Godliness is an attitude and style of life that resect God and live according to the way of God i.e His instruction and principles.

His presence in your life is your hope of becoming the person God calls you to be. Christ in you [is] the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Contentment is finding joy in what God has given to you. The opposite of contentment is greed which destroys your capacity to enjoy what God has given.

Contentment is a Christian grace that grows over time. It does not come quickly, easily or naturally. Paul says “I have learned to be content” (Philippians 4:12).

Contentment therefore means internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances.

How did he learn it? He tells us “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to hGodliness is a God-centered life. It grows, not through the pursuit of a process, but through the presence of a person. Jesus Christ is the mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16).ave plenty. I have learned the secret of being content” (Philippians 4:12). He is saying: “There were times when I had plenty. But then God brought me to situations where I was ‘in need.’ And through that I learned something: I discovered the secret of being content.”

God used the experience of loss to produce the good fruit of contentment in Paul’s life. Have you discovered the secret of being content?

Jeremiah Burroughs described contentment as “a rare jewel.” How can you find joy in what God gives you, especially when it is less than you had before? Burroughs has great wisdom on how to obtain this jewel:

A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition as by way of subtraction… Contentment does not come by adding to what you have, but by subtracting from what you desire. The world says that you will find contentment when your possessions rise to meet the level of your desires… The Christian has another way to contentment, that is, he can bring his desires down to his possessions.

Great gain
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

Not just gain, but “great gain.” Paul says “If you have godliness with contentment, it will be of huge advantage to you.” Why is this? It has to do with the consequences of not being content.

Why is godliness with contentment great gain?
1. You cannot keep what you gain
“…people who want to get rich” (v. 9)

If getting rich is your goal, you cannot keep what you gain. “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (v. 7). You may get rich, but you cannot stay rich. You cannot keep what you gain in this world.

2. You will encounter powerful temptations
“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… the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (v. 9, 10)

If you set your heart on money, you expose yourself to powerful temptations that ruin many people.

3. You may wander from the faith
“Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith” (v. 10)

In the parable of the sower, our Lord speaks about “seed that is choked by thorns and thistles.” The seed is God’s Word. The thorns and thistles are “the worries of this life, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things” (Mark 4:19). Money chokes the fruit of God’s Word in the lives of some people.

4. You will experience great sorrow
“Some people, eager for money, have… pierced themselves with many griefs” (v.10)

Money is a great servant but a terrible master. If you set your heart on money, money will break your heart. You will not keep what you gain. You will fall into powerful temptations. You may wander from the faith. You will pierce yourself with many griefs and sorrows.

That’s why godliness with contentment is great gain. When you have less, learn the art of contentment. This rare jewel is not found when you have more, but when you have less.

Bring your desires down to the level of your possessions. Learn to enjoy what God has given more than you grieve what He has taken away. Practice the art of godly contentment and you will find that it is great gain.

Conclusion
This write-up is meant all of us, lack of contentment leads to all the evils we are facing in the world. When you lack contentment, you are bound to do evil to satisfy yourself. I will encourage us to pray for the spirit of contentment to be released upon us all. Most of these evil vices we are experiencing are caused by lack of contentment.

Benefit of contentment
When you allow contentment in your life, you will:
1. Be at peace
2. Be Free from temptation
3. Be Free from sickness and diseases
4. Have joy
5. Not be afraid of the past, present and future
6. Prosper in all things
7. Be safe from Intruders
8. Be blessed abundantly in life

If you lack contentment
If you lack contentment, you will:
1. Be expose to enemies
2. Always encounter sorrow and bitterness
3. Loose the future
4. Loose your life
5. See God's wrath
6. Be dissociated from God's brethren
7. Be dissociated from the fellowship of God (Holy Spirit).

Prayers
1. Pray for the spirit of lack of contentment to be removed In Jesus Name
2. Pray for God to bestow in us the spirit of contentment.