1 Timothy 6:6-10
6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it, 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment…
I’ve always been a restless person. From the time I was very young, I would set a goal and work toward it with lazar focused determination. Once I reached that goal, I would quickly lose interest and look for the next big adventure.
This goal-oriented ambition served me well in many ways, as I prepared for “what I was going to do when I grew up”. And then, one day, I realized that I was grown-up. As a child, I had prepared for the day when I would be a teenager. As a teenager, I was focused on preparing for college. In college, I was focused on my career (along with a great deal of life exploration…). When I got out in the world on my own, every job was a stepping stone to the next one.
Then, when I was 30, I followed a call from God to step away from all the preparations for whatever it was I was going to do, and enter seminary. It was a jarring full stop followed by a rapid escalation in a new direction.
One day, as I was sitting in the seminary library watching the snow fall into the courtyard below, I realized that I was content. I wasn’t anxiously powering through all the requirements so I could get to the next big thing. I was spending time in community focusing on spiritual and theological formation. Having already been out working in the world for a time, I recognized the gift of time devoted to study. It was enough.
I wish I could say that this contentment continued through every day of my life after that, but our hearts and minds don’t work that way. Since that day, however, I have recognized the exquisite beauty of every minute of life. I can truly say that I am content.
Prayer: Lord God: Everything we have and everything we are is a gift from your hand. Keep us mindful of those gifts. AMEN