I got to go on a dream vacation this year with my wife and another couple. We left the kids behind and got into the sun in Mexico at an all-inclusive resort. 80 degrees and sunny every day – all you can eat and drink. We played volleyball and lounged around the pool all day. It was perfect…… for the most part. 

Despite being in paradise I found something to complain about each day. The dinners were a little lackluster. They didn’t have enough chairs by the pool so we had to sit by the beach (rough- I know). I got sunburned and my face was starting to peal by the time we left. 

Toward the end of the week, I read I Timothy 6:6-11 and it struck a chord with me in how I was feeling. The verse that stuck out to me was “godliness with contentment is great gain”. Here I was with my every need being met by a team of chefs, bartenders, grounds keepers, and entertainers and I still had found things I didn’t like that I let affect my attitude and outlook. 

You can be godly but not content with where He has put me in life. You can reach a destination that you strived for over a long time but end up feeling empty when you arrive. 

If you are lacking godliness you will be pursuing the things of this world that will ultimately leave you unsatisfied. 

But you may also be doing the right things for the wrong reason, which can leave you discontent. I find myself feeling like this when I try to live life under my own power. It’s exhausting to try to be godly without the power of the holy spirit and I always end up discontent with my circumstances and my effort to do the “right” thing. Instead of letting the Spirit lead me in my actions, I end up feeling burned out and stressed. 

God has put each of us where he wants us. Comparing our circumstances to others is another way I find myself lacking contentment. This almost always has to do with reaching worldly success. As many wise men before me have said – comparison is the thief of joy.

I have strived for Godliness since becoming a Christian but I am working on my contentment with the circumstances He has put me in. Pray the Lord allows us to be Godly AND content wherever he chooses to put us.