We all love the abundant life, aka great gain, and may not need to receive instructions for it. However, a lot of believers miss out on enjoying the abundant life that Jesus came to give. Consequently, the bible gives us instructions for living with great gain. It gives us a critical aspect of great gain which we want to consider today. In 1 Timothy 6:6, the bible says that godliness with contentment is great gain.
Because we believe in living the abundant life, this is not our first post on this topic of great gain. However, the emphasis here is somewhat different. And that is because many of us may be gradually becoming less happy with our status in life. With social media so busy painting glowing pictures of influencers, many may start to believe those images. That in turn leads to dissatisfaction in the hearts of good Christians.
But when you know that contentment is a critical aspect of great gain, you take the pains to dig deeper. That is when you discover that the so-called media influencers are largely depressed. Some have even ended up committing suicide and you most certainly don’t want to go there. Of course, you know that suicide is killing and any who kills (even himself) goes to hell.
That is why this post is critical for believers. Naturally, we do not engage in get-rich-quick schemes and may appear to miss out on the wealth of the world. But once we know what a critical aspect of great gain is, we quickly develop it. Now, don’t get me wrong, developing contentment is not automatic. The Apostle Paul had to learn contentment but once he did, he was able to declare his ability to do all things.
We Must Also Learn Contentment
We too should learn how to be content and not only to be like the Apostle. It is so that we can live a good life since contentment is a critical aspect of great gain. How much contentment do you possess right now? It might be little, even when you are fairly rich, and James understood this dynamic. The brother of Jesus knew that rejoicing in whatever your state is a critical aspect of great gain.
Consider the man who committed suicide in Europe during the recession of 2008. The poor man had six billion (that is with a b) dollars before the recession. During the recession, he lost one billion such that by the time the recession was over, he was worth five billion dollars. Because nobody told him that a critical aspect of great gain is contentment, he spun into clinical depression.
Ultimately, he committed suicide, losing all the five remaining billion dollars and still suffering the loss of his soul. What a pity! And that is the scenario this post is designed to help us avoid. Of course, we may never have five billion dollars but the concept is the same, whether it is five dollars or five billion dollars. That is why James advised the brother in lowly circumstances to rejoice in his exaltation.
Rejoicing stems from satisfaction and signifies contentment, a critical aspect of great gain. He also advises the rich brother to also rejoice, but in his humiliation. If you are up, the only way to go is down, like the billionaire who killed himself. But James wants both categories to be glad and contented. Unfortunately, it is a lesson that our billionaire friend failed to learn.
Contentment Is a Critical Aspect of Great Gain
As you are on your way to making your next billion dollars, it is a lesson you need. We all need to know that a critical aspect of great gain is contentment. That is so that we do not despair when things don’t go our way. So again, we ask ourselves. How contented are we? How likely are we to rejoice when things don’t go our way?
Sorry, but you get no marks for knowing the answer to these questions. That is because the answer is clear. Christians grumble as loudly as unbelievers and grumbling is a sign of discontent. Allow me to blow your mind for a bit. Muslims are more content than Christians. They meekly accept most situations as proceeding from God. The Christian meanwhile? He spends all night binding and losing, in discontent.
Are we saying we should not pray against untoward circumstances? No. But after you have prayed, let it go so that you can enjoy abundant life. Because contentment is a critical aspect of great gain and abundant life. Did you know that your life does not consist in the abundance of the things you possess? Jesus Christ Himself said so. And in that same passage, He indicated that covetousness is the opposite of contentment.
Ouch! That means unless you know a critical aspect of great gain is contentment, you will always be covetous. And that is irrespective of how wealthy you are. You will always be wanting more. Did King David, with all his wealth and wives, not steal Uriah’s wife? But once you learn that contentment is a critical aspect of great gain, your life receives an immediate upgrade. While others look at you, you no longer care what others have.
Of Course, You Also Need Godliness
When you live in contentment, you develop a certain level of confidence that causes people wealthier than you start to envy you. That is because you have learned that contentment is a critical aspect of great gain. However, contentment is not the only component of great gain. You must also live godly.
What does it mean to live Godly? One dictionary says godliness is the quality or practice of conforming to the laws and wishes of God. It is devoutness and moral uprightness. You require moral uprightness and adherence to God’s wishes to live an abundant life. This means that although contentment is a critical aspect of great gain, it is not the only one.
We may treat that aspect in detail in a later post but for now, we focus on contentment. Please learn, like Paul, to be content as otherwise, you can never enjoy life, regardless of how rich you are. Jesus says in His sermon on the mount, blessed are the meek (content in whatever state). Why? Because they shall inherit the earth. Man, that is powerful. All these things you see shall end up being yours but you must live in contentment.
Maranatha!
