Cows and Life

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. (1 Timothy 6:6-10 ESV).

Contentment is one of the most valuable gifts of grace. Last week I met David and Becca for lunch. Of course, Maggie was the star attraction for the lunch. We met at a Barbeque restaurant in Ft. Worth that has an outdoor patio and is located on a beautiful spot on the Trinity River. A part of the decorations is a life size statue of a cow. You can see it is a big hit with Maggie. She kept pointing to it and saying “cow.” I took her over and sat her on it to “ride” for a while. I learned a great deal about cows and life. According to Maggie, cows go “mooooooo…” (the emphasis is on the Texas drawl when making that sound). And, as you can see from the picture there is nothing more satisfying for her than riding on top of the cow; and, nothing more satisfying for grandpa than watching her while she does! That’s contentment. I don’t like to think of myself as a malcontent, but sometimes I am. Now, it is true that, like anyone, I have unmet desires, unfulfilled hopes, and unattained dreams; but, that’s not what makes me discontented. The key is in my expectations. This is the emphasis of the apostle in our reading today. Paul says, “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.” (1 Timothy 6:6-8). Here is the key: I’m not contented when I expect things out of God that I have no right to expect. God is not obligated to grant my three wishes (or five or one). When I trust God fully to give everything I need to live a life that honors Him, my job is to live that life. He knows what I need. And He knows the desires of my heart. And God is able to make all grace abound to me (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:8). This is godliness with contentment. Not my doubting the resources or the goodness of God. Not my being God’s backseat driver. But trusting Him and taking Him at His word. That may be the most difficult thing about the life of a believer. It is simple trust. It’s not a simple thing to accomplish; but, it is simple rather than complex. It is not full of steps and processes. It is not a protracted chain of sacrificial deeds. It is resting in an absolute knowledge that he will bring good from all things to my life. How’s your contentment?