Scripture:
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into
the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food
and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich
fall into temptation, into a snare, into senseless and harmful desires that
plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all
kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from
the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. - 1 Timothy 6:6-10 (ESV)
Reflect:
What other sins might greed and the love of money lead to? How have you seen
greed destroy lives?
The Reverend Charles
Spurgeon once preached, “You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very
satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you
would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” He’s right. I’ve seen it in my own
life. When I finally get whatever, I think will make me happy, I realize that
now I want something else. It’s a vicious cycle.
In today’s verses, the
apostle Paul advised that “godliness with contentment is great gain”. In this
letter to Timothy, Paul had been cautioning him about false teachers. In verse,
he warned that some false teachers are “imagining that godliness is a means to
gain.”
In other words, some
people professing to be Christian teachers won’t be sincere. They’ll start
ministries under the guise of pointing people to Jesus, but they’ll really just
pick people’s pockets and try to get rich quick. We still see this today in certain
celebrity pastors with net worth's in the millions of dollars but with teaching
that is not biblically sound.
Instead of viewing
godliness as a means to monetary gain, Paul told Timothy that godliness with
contentment is in itself a great gain. He reminded Timothy of a truth we so
often conveniently forget - we came into the world without anything, and we
can’t take it with us when we go. So, he concludes, we should be content with
food and clothing, focusing instead on living godly lives.
He described the
desire to be rich as a trap and that’s just what it is. Once we set our hearts
on wealth, we will stop at nothing to get what we want. Once we get what we
want, we realize it’s not enough. Pretty soon, the end (getting rich) justifies
the means. We’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means exploiting and taking
advantage of other people, because ultimately nothing satisfies our desire for
wealth. We always want more!
The online commentary,
Gotquestions.org explained: “It is impossible to be content when our hearts are
set on gaining more. We will not remain godly for long if we are not content
with what God has given us. A desire for godliness is quickly eroded by a greedy,
covetous spirit.”
You see, the sin may
start with loving money and wanting more of it, but it rarely ends there. Time
and again, people get caught in the snare of greed in which one sin leads to
another and another and another until they are left ruined and destroyed.
Is it a sin to be
wealthy? Of course not! The issue at hand isn’t how much money you have; the
issue is your heart! As Paul continued in his letter to Timothy, he directly
mentioned those who are rich. He said, “As for the rich in this present age,
charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of
riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are
to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus
storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that
they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
The only riches that
are worth anything of eternal value are the riches that we find in Christ.
Let’s love and pursue Almighty God instead of the almighty dollar.
The way we manage our
money can be a testament to what we believe about God. Regardless of whether we
have a lot or only a little, being content with what we have is
counter-cultural and reveals where our true treasure is (Matthew 6:21).
Pray:
Lord, I confess that I have been guilty of greed and discontentment.
Sometimes, I want more than what You’ve given me, and I covet what other people
have. Please forgive me. When I start to struggle with greed, remind me that
the material riches of this temporary world are a poor substitute for the
eternal spiritual riches You have blessed me with in Jesus Christ. Amen.
-
Nat Crawford (Provided by "Back To The Bible")
