For many of us, collecting is a hobby. We collected comic books or action figures as kids. As adults, many of us still enjoy collecting a certain item. It’s a hobby that includes the thrill of the hunt, organizing, displaying, and trading with others.
Unfortunately, collecting is not a hobby for some people. It is an obsession. Psychologists have identified a common trait among hoarders—those who compulsively collect anything and everything. That common trait is anxiety.
We’ve all experienced a feeling of security from something we’ve possessed, even if that sense of security was short-lived. But seeking security and contentment from inanimate objects is elusive. Even trying to find security and contentment in people is ultimately unachievable because people will let us down at one time or another.
We don’t get our contentment from people or things, no matter how many things or relationships we surround ourselves with. God offers us a simpler approach—an achievable approach to contentment—that grows out of our relationship with Him.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 Timothy 6:6-8
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Earlier in chapter 6, Paul spoke against false doctrine and human greed. False teachers were twisting God’s truth to mislead people into believing that godliness would result in material gain. They weren’t motivated by a desire to please God; instead they were motivated by a desire to gain the riches of this world. This isn’t godliness; it’s greed.
This unfortunate false teaching resides in the hearts of many today. Over two-thirds of American churchgoers believe God wants them to prosper financially.
Most churches lift up the doctrine of grace—we are recipients of God’s grace, a grace we do not deserve—yet we often act like our acts of service, devotion, and giving will receive some form of reward from God. In fact, thirty-eight percent of churchgoers believe God rewards us when we give to the church.
I have unfortunately been there. I would never have preached this false doctrine, but at one point I was living it. When I was single, I patiently waited for God to provide a wife. I was as faithful as I could be. I even fasted from dating for a whole year, and it wasn’t easy. Surely God would bless my faithfulness to Him and provide a wife at the end of the year. I had earned it. But the years just passed. By the time I was twenty-five I was sure that God had called me to be single for the rest of my life, but I couldn’t understand why. Why hadn’t God blessed my faithfulness?
Then it hit me. I had been using my pursuit of godliness as a down payment for the things I wanted God to provide for me. I had been using God to fulfill my own desires. I did love Him and wanted to please Him, but my motives weren’t for His glory; I was motivated by what I might gain.
Greed and godliness can never dwell in the same heart. One will be the resident, and the other will be the occasional visitor. Paul gave the antidote in verse 6: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” True gain comes when godliness is married to contentment.
The word Paul used for “contentment” is autarkeia. It means to be totally satisfied with what one has.
We should be thankful for the simple things like food and clothing; the simple pleasures of life should satisfy us. When we are not content with simply having our daily needs met, we become discontent and push for more and more. The enemy loves the discontent heart, but contentment rests with the simple pleasures of life that come from God.
1 Timothy 6:9-11
9 Those 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. 10 For 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. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Have you ever had a craving for something sweet late at night? Paul warned about another craving: the craving of riches. The difference in the craving for a snack and the craving of riches is that the latter will lead to ruin and destruction. Craving riches is not just foolish; it’s harmful. It’s not the mere presence of riches that brings harm; it’s the craving—the desire—for those riches that is so dangerous. Such desires are a trap set to capture our hearts and guide us away from finding contentment in the things of God. Our flesh—our sinful human nature—will always crave the things of this world that never satisfy. If Satan can capture our hearts, then he can set us in motion on the path to destruction.
“All kinds of evil” grow out of a love for money. The most dangerous thing that this craving can cause is a wandering from the faith. At this point, people do not necessarily deny their faith, but they no longer let it play a role in their lives. If we don’t seek our contentment in a godly life in Christ, our hearts are left open for the enemy to fill.
Paul gave Timothy an alternate course: “flee from all this.” Sound advice for sure, but by itself, it’s not enough. It‘s one thing to flee from something; it’s equally important to consider what we run to. Paul called Timothy—and us—to pursue six traits:
- Righteousness and godliness. These two traits have to do with our personal integrity, upright conduct before others, and our relationship to God.
- Faith and love. These two traits speak to our trust, dependability, and actions toward both God and others.
- Endurance and gentleness. We need staying power in the face of difficulties, and gentleness in dealing with difficult situations and people.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Paul’s warning about the love of money applies to all of us. In verse 17, Paul issued a warning to those who have riches. I love the language he used here: “rich in this present world.” Any riches we possess in this present age are only in this age; they won’t transfer to the age to come. Paul’s instructions were to guide the rich in how they should live with their temporary, current riches.
- Don’t be arrogant. Riches can easily cause people to believe they are better than others because they have more. This arrogance is wrapped up in entitlement.
- Don’t place your hope in wealth (which is uncertain). Money can give us a false sense of identity and of security. Material things are bound to end one day. To place our hope and trust in wealth is like driving a car and never expecting it to run out of gas. Wealth will disappear, and when it does, so will our hope.
- Hope in God. It’s a whole different story when our hope rests in God! We have riches in God, but a different type of riches. God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (v. 17). God doesn’t provide so that we can just exist. He gives us an abundant life (John 10:10).
- Do what is good. Want to be rich? Be rich in doing good works. Give. Be generous. Share. This is the cure for the craving of mere earthly riches. When the rich do this, they are “lay[ing] up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age” (v. 19). Giving here on earth is a deposit in heaven.
I opened my first savings account at the age of twenty-two. Each month I placed a specific amount into this account, and I loved to watch the balance grow. This was not a big deal at first, but I became obsessed with seeing the increase in my savings. I became so focused on the increase of my savings that I found reasons not to tithe to my church or give anywhere else. I justified my disobedience by saying things like, “I do not trust how my tithe is being used by the church.”
“I will give when I make more money.” The truth was I did not want to give because I was greedy. My savings account slowly began to own me, and I became enslaved to my own riches.
I found the way to break this entrapment: I began giving again. The only cure for greed is generosity. I gave freely and began to experience godly contentment.
LIVE IT OUT
How will you pursue godliness with contentment? Choose one of the following applications:
- Be Content. Begin your day—every day—with a focus on Christ. Ask Him to transform your thoughts from self to living a godly life for Him. Commit to finding your contentment in the things God provides and choose to live for Him.
- Be Accountable. If you struggle with craving and buying things to give you a sense of security and contentment, choose someone you trust to be your coach and mentor, holding you accountable for how you spend. Seek a person who will encourage you to find your contentment in God alone.
- Be Generous. If you’re not in the habit of giving, start. Give faithfully through your church. When you see a need, forgo a purchase for yourself, and step in to help with the need.
It’s easy to begin to rely on things or even people who bring us temporary happiness. But true contentment can only be found in our relationship with Christ.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher Notes:
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher Notes:
HAPPINESS AND ALL of the unlimited benefits which flow from the storehouse of heaven are contingent upon our relationship to God. Absolute dependency and absolute surrender are the conditions of being His child. Only His children are entitled to receive those things that lend themselves to happiness; and in order to be His child, there must be surrender of the will to Him.
In the video, the doctor believed that Freedom and Control had a lot to do with each other.
The problem was that her vision of what freedom wasn’t in line with what God says.
She had accomplished everything, had a successful career, was out of debt, but hit a point where she had all this and was not in a CONTENT place. Something was missing…
She decided it was time to go all out and live for Christ, to learn what it meant to be an offering to Christ.
What gets in the way of our contentment?
- Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, most people still believe that money brings happiness.
- Over two-thirds of American churchgoers believe God wants them to prosper financially.
- 38% of churchgoers believe God rewards us when we give to the church.
Today’s lesson tells that pursuing godliness in Christ gives us all the contentment we would ever desire.
This morning we are talking about a Godly Contentment: 1 Timothy 6:6-11,17-19
- First and Second Timothy and Titus are usually referred to as “Pastoral Epistles,” because they were written to two young protégés of Paul serving as pastors of important first-century churches, Ephesus and Crete, respectively. The apostle wrote to give them pastoral advice but even more so to teach Christian living in light of the gospel message and salvation in Christ Jesus. His instructions were intended to encourage them personally but also to provide content for their pastoral instruction to others.
The verses for this session come from the conclusion of Paul’s First Letter to Timothy. He had challenged the motives of false teachers who had infiltrated the church at Ephesus. They were moved by a desire for personal financial gain (6:3-5).
Paul addresses this morning the issues surrounding this love of money.
- How should believers deal with money and possessions? What dangers do possessions and wealth pose? What good can wealth provide?
- What was the relationship of a desire to be rich to personal contentment and the hope of eternal life?
Turn with me to 1 Timothy 6:6-8
I. How should believers deal with money and possessions? 1 Timothy 6:6-8
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Be content because you can’t keep the in-between stuff.
By its very nature, money and what it can buy are temporary. They have an expiration date. And you only have a limited amount of time to enjoy them, because the day of your death will come. Paul’s counsel, instead, is to invest in what will outlast the grave. Godliness. Whatever you have invested for eternity will remain. Regardless of what end you occupied on the monetary spectrum on earth, you can be rich toward God (Luke 12:20-21).
While we wait for our trip home, God gives us great gifts to enjoy (v. 17). Nothing is wrong with that. Food is God’s gift. And who doesn’t enjoy a new set of clothes? However, we must keep a lose grip on stuff so that we will think correctly if we are ever forced to choose between possessions and obedience to God.
Godly contentment does not depend on money or possessions.
What is the relationship between godliness and contentment?
- Godliness – a desire to please God. Godliness in Paul’s vocabulary means the genuine Christian life, a faith relationship with God and a new way of life.
- Contentment - to Paul was not a result of self-sufficiency; it was a fruit of God-dependency. It was not a matter of being able to control one’s attitude; it was a matter of being in right relationship with Christ.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. This statement is the key to spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. Why?
We should honor God and center our desires on Him (Godliness - Matt. 6:33) and we should be content with what God is doing in our lives (Phil. 4:11-13).
8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Its often helpful to distinguish between needs and wants. We may have all we need to live but let ourselves become anxious and discontent over what we merely want. Like Paul, we can choose to be content without having all that we want.
Read: Earlier in chapter 6, Paul spoke against false doctrine and human greed. False teachers were twisting God’s truth to mislead people into believing that godliness would result in material gain. They weren’t motivated by a desire to please God; instead they were motivated by a desire to gain the riches of this world. This isn’t godliness; it’s greed.
This unfortunate false teaching resides in the hearts of many today.
· Over two-thirds of American churchgoers believe God wants them to prosper financially.
· 38% of churchgoers believe God rewards us when we give to the church.
Most churches lift up the doctrine of grace—we are recipients of God’s grace, a grace we do not deserve—yet we often act like our acts of service, devotion, and giving will receive some form of reward from God. In fact, thirty-eight percent of churchgoers believe God rewards us when we give to the church.
We can’t use our pursuit of godliness as a down payment for the things we want God to provide for us. We are then using God to fulfill our own desires. We love Him and want to please Him, but our motives aren’t for His glory; we are motivated by what we might gain.
Greed and godliness can never dwell in the same heart. One will be the resident, and the other will be the occasional visitor. Paul gave the antidote in verse 6: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” True gain comes when godliness is married to contentment.
We should be thankful for the simple things like food and clothing; the simple pleasures of life should satisfy us. When we are not content with simply having our daily needs met, we become discontent and push for more and more. The enemy loves the discontent heart, but contentment rests with the simple pleasures of life that come from God.
What are some lasting truths from 1 Timothy 6:6-8?
- Contentment is not a matter of material gain but of godliness.
- Godliness is the result of being in right relationship with God through Christ.
- The accumulation of goods has nothing to do with godliness or true contentment.
- The Christian view of life is not defined by the period between birth and death, but by hope in Christ that produces eternal life.
II. What dangers do possessions and wealth pose? 1 Timothy 6:9-11
9 Those 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. 10 For 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. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Be content because the pursuit of material stuff creates sorrow.
Andrew “Jack” Whittaker of Hurricane, WV won the Powerball jackpot in 2002. At first, he promised to live his life as he always had, but $113 million has the power to change people. He planned to use the money to help others. Instead, his response to his new-found riches brought terrible pain to his family, his associates, and the community. Less than two years after his “win,” he was friendless, on the verge of divorce, facing legal troubles, and without Brandi, his adoring granddaughter. She died of a drug overdose.
Wealth doesn’t need to destroy. Job handled it well. So did Abraham. However, Lot, Abraham’s nephew, never learned the difference between possessing money and being possessed by money. Lot went to Sodom as a rich man to grow richer. He left Sodom on the run, dragged by angels, without money or the company of his wife, but possessing daughters who never learned to value character (Gen. 19:16-38). At the end, all he had was a ruined reputation and a vexed soul (2 Pet. 2:7-8). What would have happened if he had followed the counsel Paul gave Timothy and pursued godliness with all the fervor and sacrifice, he gave to seeking financial gain? The ironic fact is that only a few can win the Powerball, but all who truly want it can be godly.
Craving more possessions only leads to ruin.
Rich people craving greater riches can be caught in an endless cycle that only ends in ruin and destruction.
How can we keep away from the love of money?
1. Realize that one day riches will all be gone.
2. Be content with what you have.
3. Monitor what you are willing to do to get more money.
4. Love people more than money.
5. Love God’s work more than money.
6. Freely share what you have with others.
Proverbs 30:7-9 for more on avoiding the love of money.
“give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”
10 For 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. Greed leads to all kinds of evil: marriage problems, robbery, blow-ups in partnerships. To master greed, you must control it at its root. Get rid of the desire to be rich.
What warning did Paul give to those who were driven by a desire to be rich?
Paul warned about another craving: the craving of riches. Craving riches is not just foolish; it’s harmful. It’s not the mere presence of riches that brings harm; it’s the craving—the desire—for those riches that is so dangerous. Such desires are a trap set to capture our hearts and guide us away from finding contentment in the things of God. Our flesh—our sinful human nature—will always crave the things of this world that never satisfy. If Satan can capture our hearts, then he can set us in motion on the path to destruction.
“All kinds of evil” grow out of a love for money. The most dangerous thing that this craving can cause is a wandering from the faith. At this point, people do not necessarily deny their faith, but they no longer let it play a role in their lives. If we don’t seek our contentment in a godly life in Christ, our hearts are left open for the enemy to fill.
What advice did Paul give to Timothy; hence, to any person who belongs to God?
“Flee from all this.” Sound advice for sure, but by itself, it’s not enough. It’s one thing to flee from something; it’s equally important to consider what we run to. Paul called Timothy—and us—to pursue six traits:
- Righteousness would suggest right thinking, right attitudes, and right actions.
- Godliness means reverence and respect toward God; being holy as He is holy.
- Faith refers to convictions of the truth, in this case convictions about the truth of Jesus and the salvation available through Him.
- Love is the familiar Greek word agape, usually used in the New Testament to refer to an unconditional, sacrificial, kind of love—to love as God loves.
- Patience denotes steadfastness and endurance, characteristic of one who does not swerve from his purpose, loyalty of faith, or commitment, even though facing great challenge.
- Meekness is a gentleness or mildness of spirit; humility.
What are some lasting truths from 1 Timothy 6:9-11?
- An uncontrolled desire for riches will lead to ruin.
- A life driven by greed will cause one to wander away from the truth and lead to great sorrow, if not in this life, certainly in eternity.
- The Christian life consists of fleeing from those things that are harmful to us and following after the things of Christ that are truly edifying.
- Individuals in right relationship with God will devote themselves to pursuing the qualities that identify them as people of God.
III. What good can wealth provide? 1 Timothy 6:17-19
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Be content because contentment leads to generosity.
“I believe the power to make money is a gift of God… Having been endowed with the gift I possess; I believe it is my duty to make money…and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience.” – John D. Rockefeller
I don’t know if John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest men in history, had verses 17-19 in mind when he made that statement. Still, he echoed God’s words. Money and the ability to handle it well so that it grows is a gift. There is no room for pride. Nor is there a place for hoarding. God’s desire is that His people will be conduits rather than reservoirs.
All obedient Christians are to be givers. But there are two types of givers. Some give with difficulty, out of obedience as an act of faith. Others give without reluctance or compulsion. Either way, by giving away temporary wealth, they gain permanent riches (Luke 16:11).
Still, what’s the difference between these two types of givers?
Contentment. When a person is content with what they have and fully recognize that all they possess is God’s gift, then giving becomes a blessing rather than a struggle (Acts 4:34-37).
Set your hope on God and store up riches in heaven.
How do we balance wealth and faith?
What benefits come to those who act with generosity toward others?
Freedom! Believers are to share with others because they are partners in the faith. Wealth was not just for the individual’s own good pleasure. Wealth brings with it a stewardship responsibility “to be generous and willing to share” (CSB). Overall, Paul was suggesting that true wealth is not found in what one possesses but, in his willingness, to share; not in getting but in giving.
By doing good works the rich would be laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come. Paul’s words here are similar to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19‑21. In neither case are we to see the statements as indicating that one earns salvation or gains favor with God through his or her own effort. Salvation is only by grace through faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8). Verse 19 needs to be understood against the backdrop of verse 17, where Paul urged the rich to trust, or “set their hope” (ESV, CSB), on the living God. Because their hope was in God, not their riches, they were set free to use their possessions for the benefit of others who suffered great need. By doing so, they were storing up the kind of treasures in heaven Jesus spoke about. Furthermore, they were giving evidence they were building their lives on a good foundation and had already laid hold on eternal life.
What are some lasting truths from 1 Timothy 6:17-19?
- The rich have a responsibility to use their resources in ways that affirm their trust in God and benefit others.
- All that we have comes from God.
- Abiding hope is in God, not the things of this world or present age.
- Followers of Christ strive to lay up treasures in heaven, not as the means of eternal life but as evidence they possess it.
Live It Out
The greatest gain is not what goes in our pockets but what fills our hearts. Our certain hope and true and lasting contentment are not in what we have but in the One we serve. Hope and contentment are found in the awesome God who has reached out to us in Jesus.
