FOUNDATION FOR CONTENMENT

 

 

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

 

1 Timothy 6:1-10

1All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on. 3If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9Those 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. 10For 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.

For the love of money 

is a root of all kinds of evil. … 

 

Well, there is a verse that has certainly been twisted, bent, folded, and flattened in every way in the minds of Christian believers. It’s been applied to those who are wealthy to get a little extra in the offering, and 1 Timothy 6:10 has also served as a justification for low balanced savings accounts.

• Was the Apostle Paul getting ready to ask for money?
• Was he trying to make himself feel better about his own lack of a nest egg?
• Was he saying money is bad and we should do everything possible never to have much of it?

Let’s look for some context surrounding Paul’s first letter to his  "son in the faith", Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2). Many scholars believe Paul wrote this letter on his third missionary journey, this would have been a few years prior to his arrest. By this time, Paul had abandoned comfort and a steady income for life as a nomadic leader of the early Christian church. In fact, Paul spread God’s word without requiring payment (1 Corinthians 9:14-15), and at times made tents to support himself (Acts 18:1-3). So, we know Paul was sharing a deeply held, lived-out in the real world belief with Timothy.

What will Paul’s words to Timothy speak to us? 

Let's consider a few things, Paul began chapter six with a servant-and-master theme. Later, he described false teachers who think godliness is a way to secure financial gain (1 Timothy 6:5). One verse later, as though he  had flipped a coin over, he states that godliness paired with contentment are great gain. Paul continued to make his case by reminding us of what we get to take with us when we die. He called the desire to get rich a way to destruction (1 Timothy 6:9). Then finally, he explained all this with 1 Timothy 6:10. It seems to me that Paul was not denouncing wealth, he was pointing his finger at the lack of contentment experienced.

The lack of contentment is a condition which overthrows God as Lord, and subjects people to the pursuit of money or some other currency in their life. You may remember that Jesus also used servant-and-master imagery to discuss money. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus plainly stated, “You cannot serve both God and money.”

Let’s reflect on this for a moment. Why do we, at least many of us do, want to win the Lotto-MAX jackpot? Somewhere deep within there is a belief that says more money will mean more security, happiness, significance, generosity, and even godliness. But security, happiness, significance, generosity, and godliness come from God, our creator and master. What Paul and Jesus were warning against is living by the false promise that something or someone other than God can result in the “good life” we long for. It is only, as we have “no other god’s before him” and as we crown God as our only King that we have the deep contentment we truly seek.

Is money bad? No. In fact, money submitted to God can accomplish great things for the Kingdom. We have witnessed this in our faith community. I believe that Jesus and Paul are saying that as we pursue Godliness with contentment, all these things will be added to us as well: we will know security, happiness, significance, generosity.

I have placed other god’s before him, have you? Have you replaced the peace, satisfaction, comfort, love, strength, and direction that comes from God in the hands of some other “master”?

If you have what step might you take today to re-instate God as King in your life?