by Jerry Senn
“True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have food and clothing, let us be content” (Philippians 4:6-8, NLT).
A Puritan sat down to his meal and found that he had only a little piece of bread and some water. His response was to exclaim, ‘What? All this and Jesus Christ, too!’” (M Green)
Once a rich industrialist, disturbed to find a fisherman sitting idly by his boat, asked, “Why aren’t you out there fishing?”
“Because I’ve caught enough fish for today.” was his reply.
“Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?’ asked the rich man.
“What would I do with them?”
“You could earn more money and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you’d have a fleet of boats and be rich like me.”
“Then what would I do?” asked the fisherman.
“You could sit down and enjoy life.”
“What do you think I’m doing right now?” the fisherman replied.”
“Contentment is found, not in having everything you want, but in not wanting to have everything.”
True godliness with contentment
is itself great wealth…
So if you have food and clothing,
Let us be content.