Now
godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into [this]
world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and
clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall
into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and harmful lusts which
drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all
[kinds of] evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their
greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 NKJV
How
many of us are really content with our circumstances in this life? Do you, or someone you know, feel like there
is nothing more worth pursuing in this life?
It seems to me that it is almost a universal desire to want more which
motivates us to work to achieve that which we do not have. It may seem funny, but I thought about this
just recently while playing with my new grandchildren.
They
are about six months apart in age, and like most parents, the first milestone everyone
wants to see achieved (after sleeping through the night) is to learn how to
crawl. So it was interesting to me to notice
that we all were doing the same thing in order to try and get them to do that. How so?
We would all take one of their favorite toys and set it in front of
them, but just out of reach, as a motivation for them to try and crawl to it.
In
this passage, Paul is instructing Timothy on the subject of just what we as
believers should be pursuing, and I think it should come as no surprise to any
of us that Paul makes it clear that chasing after riches is simply a bad
idea. Now most of us would certainly
wonder what could be so bad in trying to improve our lot in life, especially if
what we are pursuing falls in that category we all know and love called “necessities”. Paul’s answer to that is made clear in verse
seven where he tells us; For we brought nothing into [this] world,
[and it is] certain we can carry nothing out.”
As often as I had heard this verse as a young believer, it wasn’t
until much later that I began to understand just what Paul was trying to tell
us.
"Do
not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and
where thieves break in and steal; "but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in
and steal. Matthew 6:19-20 NKJV
The
principle is really very simple. We as
believers are going to spend eternity with our Father in Heaven. The question is what makes more sense to you? Spending your time and effort acquiring what
you can’t take with you or depositing assets in the Bank of Heaven where you
will have them for eternity? The danger
Paul is warning us about is that by focusing our efforts on acquiring things we
do not have, we begin to drift away from our responsibilities as believers.
So
what are we to do? Paul says to spend
our time pursuing “godliness with contentment” as something worthy of our
efforts. What exactly does Paul mean
when he speaks of “godliness”?
But
you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on
eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good
confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 NKJV
It
seems to me Paul is saying we should be focusing on the internal rather than
the external. Do we really spend as much
time trying to become the person of God we are supposed to be as we do trying
to acquire the material possessions which the world considers a sign of success? Paul tells us the best way to avoid that trap
is to also learn to be content with what God provides for us.
[Let
your] conduct [be] without covetousness; [be] content with such things as you
have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake
you." Hebrews 13:5 NKJV
Contentment
comes from the knowledge that God is the one in charge of providing for us, and
He has promised that He will supply us with all our needs. Paul tells us this in his letter to the
Phillipians.
And my
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus. Phillipians 4:19 NKJV
If
we accept the promise that God will in fact provide us with what we need, then
desiring what we do not have is telling God He has made a mistake in not
understanding our needs as we see them.
Truthfully I believe contentment is accepting what God has given us and
believing He has lived up to His promise to provide us with what we need, and
not wanting more. Paul puts it this way;
Not
that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to
be content: Phillipians 4:11 NKJVConvincing ourselves we do not need what we do not have is made easier by pursuing godliness, and living righteously in God’s eyes. In so doing, we have God’s promise that He will provide us with all that we need. True riches are those we bank in our heavenly account, while leaving our earthly needs in God’s hands.
"Therefore
do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What
shall we wear?'"For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your
heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you. Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV
Keep
watching.