Recognise how easily the pursuit of “more” can draw our hearts away from God, and reminds ourselves that true gain lies not in having more, but in resting in the sufficiency of Christ.
Written by
In The Potter's Hands
2 min read
Our lives often hum with ceaseless wanting. We know what truly matters, yet the pull of “more” keeps drawing us back into the cycle of striving. We continue to reach for more. More comfort, more recognition, convincing ourselves that just one more thing will finally complete us.
And while there’s nothing wrong with enjoying what this world has to offer, the danger lies in letting those pleasures grow inordinate and eclipse our joy in God. As Paul warns, the craving for “more” may easily lead us into traps of the heart (1 Tim 6:9). When our joy begins to hinge on what we can hold rather than on who holds us, our spiritual life gradually starts to lose its center.
It often begins subtly. We continue serving, giving, and doing all the “right” things. But beneath the surface, the well of peace runs shallow. The more we chase after satisfaction apart from Him, the more restless our hearts become (Ecc 5:10).
Every pursuit shapes our hearts. If we chase what fades, our hearts will fade with it; but if we pursue godliness with contentment, we anchor ourselves in what endures. Contentment keeps our godliness genuine, rooting our faith in the unchanging sufficiency of God.
Paul reminds us that we brought nothing into this world and will take nothing out of it (1 Tim 6:6). So why spend our lives grasping at what cannot last? Real gain lies not in having more, but in needing less, because our hearts are full in Him (Luke 12:15).
Paul himself testified to this in Philippians 4:11-13:
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
For Paul, contentment was not the absence of need but the presence of trust. Paul had learned to rest in God’s provision, timing, and goodness in every season. The more he anchored his heart in Christ, the less the waves of circumstance could shake him. We, too, are invited into that same place of contentment, and for our hearts to find rest in His sufficiency.
Nevertheless, godliness without contentment cannot endure. Only when we learn to be contented in Him can our devotion endure through both abundance and lack, flowing from a heart at rest in Christ.
