1 Timothy 6
Psalm 95
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.
1 Timothy 6:6-8
1 Timothy 6 – The Path of Contentment. The bumper sticker that reads, ‘The one, with the most toys, wins’, is a reflection how the world thinks. Bombarded by advertising on social media, it is all about what you have. We are made anxious and concerned if our pension or investments are enough. Yet here, we are challenged about true contentment, which is so counter-cultural. The tremendous gain in a godly life, will most likely not include any financial rewards, but the gain is spiritual (see Ephesians 1:3 ‘who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ’)
How can we embrace contentment whilst living in such a consumer-oriented society? We need to gain an eternal perspective, and look to Jesus. We also need to heed the warning that wrong desires could tempt us to wander from the faith (see verse 10, also Mark 4:9). The essential ingredients of contentment: trusting in His providence, knowing God’s Word, and clinging to His promises.
John Piper writes: ‘This is God’s universal purpose for all Christian suffering: more contentment in God and less satisfaction in the world’. (see also Philippians 4:11-13)
May our prayer be like Job’s: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart; The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised’ (Job 1:21.)