Finding Fullness in Less #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." — 1 Timothy 6:6

You know, I came across something recently that really got me thinking. Arthur Brooks, a professor who studies happiness, makes a fascinating observation. He says when a Westerner thinks of creating art, they picture a blank canvas, something that needs more added to it. More paint, more color, more brushstrokes. But when someone from Asia looks at art, they see a block of jade. The masterpiece is already inside, you just have to chip away what doesn't belong.

That difference in perspective hit me right between the eyes. Because most of us are living like we're staring at that blank canvas, aren't we? We think happiness is just one more thing away. One more promotion, one more zero in the bank account, one more achievement. We keep adding and adding, wondering why we still feel empty.

But what if happiness doesn't come from more, but from less? From being content with what we already have?

The Apostle Paul understood this. He wrote to Timothy, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Timothy 6:6-7).

Paul wasn't saying we shouldn't have goals. He was saying that chasing "more" as our source of happiness is a trap. True gain comes when we pair godliness with contentment. When we stop thinking our lives are blank canvases that need more added and start seeing them as that block of jade, already containing something beautiful if we'll just chip away the stuff that doesn't belong.

What needs to be chipped away? Maybe it's comparison. Maybe it's envy. Maybe it's the endless scroll through other people's highlight reels. Maybe it's expectations that were never meant to be there.

I'm too soon old and too late smart on this, but I've learned that contentment isn't about settling. It's about recognizing that God has already placed something beautiful in your life, right where you are. The art is already there.

So here's my challenge: what if you stopped adding and started subtracting? What if you chipped away just one thing keeping you from seeing the beauty that's already in your life?

Let's pray: Father, help us see our lives the way You see them. Teach us contentment. Teach us to find our joy in You, not in the endless chase for more. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #Contentment #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #TrustGod #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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