Pursuing Great Gain By José Maldonado
"But godliness with contentment is great gain." Have you ever felt like no matter what you do or achieve, there’s still something missing? Like you’re constantly chasing the next thing, hoping that will be the thing that finally brings peace or satisfaction? I’ve been there. It can be exhausting. But in moments like these, this verse from Paul is a guiding light: “Godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6). I’ve come to realize that “godliness” isn’t just about going to church or looking like you’ve got it all together spiritually. It’s about the way we live—our thoughts, our actions, and our hearts being aligned with God. I think of it as walking closely with Him and trying, little by little, to live in a way that reflects His character. It’s not about perfection, but about genuine progress as He works in us. And then there’s “contentment.” Oh, contentment. It doesn’t come naturally for many of us. I tend to think, “If I just had this, or if that situation would just work out, then I’d be happy.” But that’s not contentment, is it? Real contentment is finding peace and joy right where you are, with what you have, trusting that God’s provision is enough. It’s not about giving up on your dreams or ambitions, but about not being consumed by the desire for more. What really strikes me about this verse is how Paul connects these two things—godliness and contentment—and calls them “great gain.” Not just gain, but great gain. It’s like he’s saying, “This is the real treasure. This is what makes life truly rich.” And I think he’s right. When I’m living in a way that pleases God and trusting Him with what I have (or don’t have), that’s when I feel the most at peace. I think about Paul’s life a lot. In Philippians 1:13, he talks about being in chains, yet he’s still full of joy and purpose. How is that even possible? Paul saw his circumstances through the lens of God’s bigger plan. Even when everything seemed to be going wrong, he trusted that God was doing something good. And that gave him hope and joy, even in the hardest moments. For me, that’s a huge perspective shift. When things don’t turn out the way we wanted, that’s when this verse becomes real. When we finally let go of the striving and choose to trust God—to focus on living for Him and being content with His plan—that’s when we can finally find peace. It doesn’t mean the situation instantly gets better, but our heart condition changes for the better. I now know that contentment is something we have to practice. It doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s a daily choice to trust God’s provision and believe that He knows what’s best for us. And honestly, it’s not always easy. But when we look back on the times we’ve surrendered our plans to Him, we can see how He was working all along—even when we couldn’t see it at the time. We should ask ourselves: Am I focusing on the right things? Am I trusting God with what I have right now? And am I willing to let Him shape my desires and my plans? I’m not saying it’s easy. But I can tell you from my own experience, when we focus on godliness and contentment, we find something far greater than anything this world could offer. We find peace, purpose, and a joy that isn’t dependent on our circumstances. One of our times of prayer could go like this: Lord, thank You for reminding me that true joy and fulfillment come from You. Teach me to live a life that reflects Your goodness and to trust You with what I have. When I’m tempted to chase after things that don’t matter, help me to find my contentment in You alone. Thank You for walking with me, even when I struggle. Amen. Rejoicing in the RuinsBy José Maldonado
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, … I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Life has a way of bringing us to moments of ugly desperation—times when nothing we do seems to work, when every door we try to open stays closed, and when it feels like the harder we try, the worse things get. Maybe it’s a broken relationship that seems irreparable, a health issue that continues to worsen, or a job situation that feels unbearable. Whatever it is, there are seasons in life where everything we know, everything we’ve learned, and everything we’ve relied upon fails us. I think it’s in those moments when we run out of options, that the words of the prophet Habakkuk ring especially true. He paints a bleak picture: no fruit, no crops, no livestock—a complete loss of sustenance and stability. And yet, he declares, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). How could Habakkuk say that? Often, as we gain life experience and grow in faith, we start to believe that we can predict how things will turn out. We rely on our intelligence, our problem-solving abilities, or the advice of experts to navigate difficulties. And most of the time, those tools are helpful. But then come the moments when absolutely none of it works—when we realize we are completely out of answers. Others who are not going through our struggle will say to us that’s where true dependence on God begins. Likely, we don’t want to hear it though. But, the reality is that when things fall apart, we find ourselves in the place where God’s refining work takes place. The process of being refined by fire is not poetic or romantic when you’re in the middle of it—it’s painful, exhausting, and often feels unbearable. But it is in this fire that God shapes us, strengthens us, and prepares us for what’s next. The Apostle Peter talks about this fire refined faith in 1 Peter 1:6-7. This refining process leads us to a deeper, unshakable faith—a faith that can stand firm even when everything else crumbles. The challenge for us is that it is a painful refining process. The good thing about what the Apostle Peter tells us is learning that we are not the only ones who experience it. Habakkuk didn’t rejoice because of his circumstances—he rejoiced in the Lord. His joy wasn’t tied to what was happening around him; it was rooted in who God is. This is such a powerful message for us to remember. We must remind ourselves over and over that God is faithful. God is good. God is Savior. Even when we can’t see how things will improve, we can choose to rejoice in the truth of who God is and trust Him to work all things for our good. Let’s be careful that we do not confuse the message here though. I’m not talking about lying to ourselves. Rejoicing in the Lord isn’t about pretending everything is okay. It’s about shifting our focus from our circumstances to God’s character. It’s an intentional action on our part. It’s about declaring, “Even if nothing changes, even if things get worse, I will still praise You, Lord.” Most of us don’t prepare for hardship until it’s already upon us. But what if we intentionally prepared our hearts now? What if we wrote ourselves a letter—a “Dear Me” letter—to remind us of what we know to be true when things are going well? This letter will make such a difference when everything feels like it’s falling apart. The more we read this letter in the good times, the more prepared we will be in the bad times. It might go something like this: “Dear Me, You’re going to face situations in life that you can’t fix. You’re going to feel like God isn’t listening and like evil is winning. When that happens, remember this: Rejoice in the Lord. Even when it hurts, even when you don’t understand, trust Him. Let Him bring about the best solution in His perfect timing. Be patient, pray, and wait on the Lord. He is faithful, and He will not fail you.” Habakkuk’s declaration of faith challenges us to trust God even when life feels hopeless. It reminds us that joy isn’t about our circumstances—it’s about the Savior. When everything else fails, God remains. So when we face the fire, we choose to rejoice in the Lord. We let Him refine us, strengthen us, and lead us to the amazing, life-changing answers He has in store. “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.” May that be the cry of our hearts, no matter what we face. Facing Our Dark SideBy José Maldonado
We all have a dark side. It’s the part of us that wants to hide sinful desires and actions, the side that whispers lies and leads us astray. Some call it the “assassin” because it sneaks into our lives and tries to sabotage our walk with God. It’s not easy to admit that this dark side exists, but the truth is, we all wrestle with it. Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away—it only allows it to grow. Here’s the key truth: whatever we feed will grow. If we feed the dark side, it gets stronger. But if we starve it and instead nourish our spirit with the good things of God, the darkness will weaken, and we can walk in freedom. So, how do we deal with the dark side? Let’s break it down step by step: 1. Awareness of the Dark Side The first step is recognizing that the dark side exists. Pretending it’s not there or thinking we’re above it only gives it more power. The Apostle Paul said, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). Even Paul acknowledged his internal struggle. Being honest about the presence of this struggle in our lives is where the journey begins. 2. Feeding on the Good Stuff Starving the dark side requires us to feed our spirit with the right things. This means spending time in Scripture, prayer, and worship. God’s Word is the nourishment our soul needs to thrive. Just as our bodies need food to survive, our spirit needs the truth of God to grow stronger. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The more we immerse ourselves in the Word, the less room for the dark side to thrive. 3. Recognizing the Promises of the Dark Side The dark side often disguises itself with empty promises. It tries to lure us in by making sin seem appealing or harmless. But those promises are lies. To recognize the counterfeit, we need to know the truth so well that the lies become obvious. This is how the Secret Service trains agents to detect counterfeit money—not by studying fakes, but by becoming intimately familiar with the real thing. In the same way, when we know God’s truth deeply, we can spot the lies of the dark side and resist them. Walk by the Spirit In Galatians 5:16, Paul gives us the ultimate solution: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Walking by the Spirit means surrendering to God daily, allowing Him to guide our steps, transform our thoughts, and shape our desires. It’s not something we do once—it’s a daily decision to choose God over the dark side. Dealing with our dark side isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. It’s about choosing to feed our spirit, starve the darkness, and walk by the Spirit, trusting that God is transforming us daily. So, we can take a moment to reflect. What are we feeding? Are we strengthening the dark side or nurturing the Spirit within you? We need to ask God to help us be aware, to give us a hunger for His Word, and to sharpen our ability to recognize truth from lies. We can starve the dark side and walk in the light of God’s truth. The Way of the MasterBy José Maldonado
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 ) Some people call it karma, and others chalk it up to luck, but as followers of Christ, we ought to recognize it as the way of the Master. Life is not a series of isolated events where one good deed automatically triggers a blessing. It's not like having a genie at our beck and call, where one wish equals one reward. The apostle Paul wants to clarify what the life of a Christ follower is to look like. In contrast, while genies may be suitable for fairy tales, real-life functions differently. We are called to live enthusiastic and honorable lives, continually extending kindness and joy to others, not as a one-time deal but as an ongoing practice. Some also argue that we'll only see rewards in heaven and ought to work without excitement and reward until we leave this earth. However, Paul also debunks this notion, assuring us that we will reap a harvest in due time and that we are to rejoice always. Jesus leaves us with no doubt about the subject when he says there will be rewards. He foretells blessings that will grace us here on earth. The strong-in-character and humble "will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). He makes it clear that there are rewards here on earth. That surely is a reason for celebration! The Bible contains several agricultural analogies, reminding us that God created the Earth. Plant and fruit growth is a perfect metaphor for our lives. Just as crops need time to grow and bear fruit, our good deeds need time to flourish and produce a harvest of blessings. Our Lord Jesus calls us to do good because it pleases Him. He is the perfect parent, knowing when to challenge and when to reward us. What a compelling way to live! Let's look for the challenges that will bring those rewards! And let's not tire of doing good, for in God's perfect timing, we'll reap the abundant harvest that awaits those who persevere. Let's start each day with the desire to sow seeds of love, kindness, and compassion and trust that God will ensure our harvest is plentiful. |
AuthorDr. Lori Maldonado works as a passionate keynote speaker, is the author of several books and is the co-creator of the Teach One to Lead One philosophy. She is an avid spokeswoman for the cause of transforming at-risk youth into responsible citizens. Dr. Lori balances her time between the management of her successful non-profit organization, invitations to speak to audiences throughout the world, and Biblical Coaching. Archives
February 2025
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