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GODLY CONTENTMENT. I Timothy 6:6-10. 8/07/2022. #20.
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1. The way of internal peace
a. Paul summarizes how to avoid the striving which he had just condemned
a1. As in Gal. 5, Paul first describes the turmoil of men who desire fame and money
a2. Opposite of striving is contentment
b. Greek word for contentment here means “satisfaction within oneself”
a1. No desires or obsessions
a2. Discontent = desire for something more than what you have
c. Paul prescribes 2 traits to eliminate greed:
a1. Godliness (lit., good devotion)
a2. Contentment (pleased within self)
d. Godliness = devoted to holy living
e. Godliness and contentment are major themes
a1. Matthew 6:24-34 – the Lord said that if we have food and shelter, be content
a2. Philippians 4:9-12 Paul learned to be content
a3. Job 1 Job the Lord took back what was his (Job owned nothing)
2. Divine perspective
a. Paul provides the proper perspective:
a1. We enter and leave the world with nothing
b1. What is accumulated is left
b2. Life is temporary and fleeting
a2. Having the necessities of life is all we need (food and covering)
b1. All the tools needed to be feed and sheltered are given by God
b2. Beyond life’s necessities are bonuses and not entitlements
b. Contentment with adequate provisions as we serve the Lord leads to peaceful satisfaction
3. Desire for more leads to misery
a. Striving for greater power, pleasure, and possessions brings pain, dissatisfaction, and more desire
a1. Things cannot bring contentment and joy
a2. Pleasure yields desire for more pleasure
b. Paul states that the desire to be rich is a snare
a1. A temptation that brings destruction
a2. Pursuing riches is an unworthy goal
a3. Foolish and harmful lusts = men will engage in sinful, deceptive, and self-destructive acts to gain pleasure and money
a4. Fleshliness and worldliness are gained by compromising faith and morals
c. The love of $ is the root of all kinds of evil
a1. There are wealthy people who use their wealth to serve the Lord (rare)
a2. Some of the most miserable people are the rich (not bring happiness)
d. Curbing desire for things and thrills is a battle, especially in an affluent society
a1. Can pull us away from the faith
a2. Godly focus takes constant diligence
Key Verse: Matthew 6:24-34
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [d]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.