GOT CONTENTMENT?

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation
and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires
that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith
and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
1 Timothy 6:6-10

There was a commencement speaker who told a graduating class to
“make all the money they could make just as long as they make it honestly.”
Sounds like good advice doesn’t it?
However, if we are trying to make all the money we can,
then we are going to be making money when we ought to be doing something else.
We are going to be making money when we ought to be praying or attending worship.
We are going to be making money when we should be spending time with our family
or even getting a good night’s sleep!
The believer’s goal is not to make all the money he can.
Sure we have to provide for our family, but when we determine that we are going to be rich,
at that moment we put ourselves in a very vulnerable position.

Do you want to be content?
Then, re-read 1 Timothy 6:6-10 and think about what it is saying.

The phrase, “those who want to get rich” isn’t describing someone who is rich,
it is instead describing someone who has set their mind on being rich.
Have you ever done that?
Then you are in great danger because this desire can “plunge people into ruin and destruction”.

When Paul said “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”,
he didn’t say that “money is the root of all evil”, he said “the love of money” is the root of all evil.

When a wealthy person was asked how much is enough?
He replied, “A little bit more”.
That shows a lack of contentment.

There are wealthy people who love the Lord
and their are people who are less fortunate who are chasing their own desires.
It is all a matter of focus.
As believers, we should be content with what the Lord has provided for us.

In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul says,
“I am not saying this because I am in need,
for 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.”

In 1 Timothy 6:6, he says,
“But godliness with CONTENTMENT is great gain.”

What should we be content with?
“But if we have food and clothing, we will be CONTENT with that.”
1 Timothy 6:8

Why should we be content?
“Keep your lives free from the love of money
and be CONTENT with what you have, because God has said,
‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

When summarizing the verses just listed, we see that Paul links “godliness” to “contentment”.
In other words, we should seek godliness (not money) in order to find contentment.
We should be grateful for what the Lord provides for us
and remember that He is always there to take care of us.
Does that mean we should never have any ambitions?
Of course not!
We just need to keep our priorities in order and avoid making the ‘love of money’ our idol.