1 Timothy 6:6-10

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 many 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.

One of the clearest windows that allow us to view the condition of our hearts is our finances and our attitudes about money.  The issue is not the amount of money that we possess, how we view money in general.  Both the rich and the poor can please or displease the Lord with their treatment of money and possessions.  In general, God’s requirement is that we be content with His provision for our lives.  One characteristic of false teachers is a lack of contentment.  Those who are committed to living on mission will not be focused on money but enjoy a life that is marked by meaning and contentment. 

THE REASONS FOR CONTENTMENT: One of the primary reasons for living a contented life is that it facilitates godliness in our lives.  Those who are focused on expanding their wealth and are constantly driven to make more money will be easily distracted from the priority of godliness.  Time for Bible study, prayer, evangelism, discipleship, involvement at church, and exercising hospitality will all be compromised by the pursuit wealth as a priority in life.  Godliness requires that we grow in character and be aligned with God’s mission in the world.  Love of money will tempt us to compromise our character and will compete with God’s mission.  The second reason for contentment is simply that “you can’t take it with you.”  As believers, we are called to live in light of eternity and the reality is that we will not be able to take any of the wealth from this world into eternity.  Certainly, the way we invest our resources will have eternal implications, but upon our death, the wealth we have accumulated on earth will be greatly devaluated. 

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTENTMENT: Paul simply states that there are only two biblical requirements for us to experience contentment: food and clothing.  These are our most basic needs.  If we have enough to eat and have clothing to provide warmth and modesty, we have all that is required for biblical contentment.  The most surprising thing about this list is its brevity.  Certainly, most of us would like to amend that list considerably so that it would include things like a bed, house, insurance, furniture, refrigerator, car, phone, TV, savings… Wile, there is nothing wrong with having all these things; none of them are biblically requirements for contentment.  If we are fed and dressed but are not content; we are being disobedient to the Lord and godliness will be compromised. 

THE RISKS OF DISCONTENTMENT: Paul warns us that discontentment is both a temptation and a trap.  God is deeply concerned about the affections of our hearts.  He wants our affections to be for Him and His kingdom.  Money can be a temptation that attracts our affections and desires.  The desire to become rich functions like a trap in that it attracts us to enter with tantalizing promises but once we get into the trap it is impossible to get out without help.  Once we give our hearts over to the desire to be rich, it will never be content.  There will never be enough wealth to satisfy the unsatiated thirst our heart can have for more money.  This pursuit of possessions will lead into many other areas of sinfulness and away from godliness.  We must protect our hearts from this clear and present danger.

THE RESULTS OF DISCONTENTMENT: There are three metaphors used to describe the results of discontentment: drowning, wandering, and stabbing.   If we allow discontentment to take root in our hearts, we will be plunged into all kinds of evil desires that will consume our lives.  This will cause us to wander away from the faith and into the jungles of this world where it is almost impossible to escape or find our way back.  The result will be living a life that is tormented like being pierced with a sword.  This is a terrible way to live life.  What we need to understand is that Satan and the system of this world is doing all it can to foster discontentment in our lives through massive marketing campaigns and ever more tantalizing products and technology.  If we are not intentional and proactive at combating discontentment and promoting contentment, we and our families will drown in debt, wander from faith, and be pierced through the heart with painful consequences.

APPLICATION: Make godliness and eternal values the tip priority in our lives.  Simplify our lives and be content with whatever the Lord has already supplied.  Beware of how tempting money can be and how hard it can be to escape the desire for money.  Set our affections on the Lord and His kingdom.  Prevent discontentment being very aware of the dangers associated with this sin.