1Timothy 6:3-10 Do you like to fish? Do you know anyone who does? If so, how does one feel out on the lake just casting out line and reeling it in? You’ve got the whole day and no place else to be. No schedule, no worries, just peace of mind. That’s contentment, my friend. And what do you need to experience complete contentment? A piece of string, a hook and a free worm the ground just gave you - no charge. Contentment is something God wants for us every day, not just sometimes. The problem is that we take something God created to be so simple and we make it complicated. We start putting all kinds of conditions and terms on contentment. Meanwhile, all these “add-ons” don’t make contentment any easier, they actually make it harder.
In 1Timothy 6:2-5, Paul encourages Timothy to keep the faith and preserve truth. Paul is aware of false teachers who add to and take away from the simple truth Jesus gave us. He wants Timothy to continue giving all truth and not “rob” his listeners as others are doing. He even indicates that those who rob others of the truth are motivated by greed for money. And the consequences of being robbed of the truth are clear. For when we don’t get the whole truth all sorts of maladies eat away at our contentment. Paul mentions specifically envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between one another. Essentially, he is saying that corrupt information yields corrupt thinking.
Those motivated by greed will say anything to get people to focus on them. For, if I am great, people will be drawn to me and the greater the draw, the greater the offering. Whatever is true has taken a back seat to my position. The more complicated I make it, the more discontent people will feel and they will continue to seek me out for a solution to “the puzzle”. The more I put the spotlight on myself, the less I put the spotlight on God.
We see some of these false teachers on television; those who have spent a great deal of the offering on themselves instead of investing it in the kingdom. I’m reminded of one couple who had a huge mansion on sprawling acres with an air-conditioned dog house. What is likely to become of a teacher who is motivated by money?
While we may see the fault in such teachers, how much have we bought in to this thinking? Have we allowed ourselves to believe that contentment is elusive? Do we think “I’ll be content when I get this or that”? “If only I had a little more”. What does that even mean - “a little more”? Can we be content with what we already have - or even less? Let’s look at Jesus who had it all. He was literally in heaven in the presence of His Father when He gave it all up to live with us poor humans. And He was content to do so. He gave up his riches but not His contentment.
The richest one in the world is not he who is in possession of the most, but rather he who is in need of the least. Jesus took us by the hand and walked us through Godly contentment. He didn’t just preach it, He lived it. And He invites us to accept that Godly contentment which comes from living out Godly principles. It’s just that simple. If you wanted to build muscle, you would see no shame in seeking out the advice of those who have experienced great success in that area. And we would benefit nothing if we only listen to them but don’t do as they do. Therefore, when we seek contentment, we should naturally want to seek out the Creator of contentment. Not to simply listen to what He does, but to do as He does.
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