1 Timothy 6:6-8

1 Timothy 6:6-8

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”

When I read these verses in the context of the verses around them I can see that Paul is contrasting two very different groups of people. The first group is described in verses 3-5. We see that these are very ungodly people whose minds are so twisted by sin that they actually think that ‘’godliness is a means of gain,” instead of a work of the Holy Spirit in your life. This strikes me as extremely foolish considering that during this time period Christians were being heavily persecuted and martyred for simply worshipping Jesus, so what exactly they were selfishly gaining I’m really not sure of but I know it wasn’t a comfortable life. The first group are proud of how much they know but their knowledge hasn’t left their head, therefore, it just causes them to argue in circles over unimportant phrases, picking apart each individual word to the point of it having no meaning. Arguments like these are useless, they generate division in the Church that wouldn’t have existed otherwise. They suspect everyone of being out to get them and hate them for their suspicions that aren’t grounded in truth. Paul exhorts us to walk away from these people, they’ll only tear us down. From personal experience, I can tell you that if these words describe you the only thing to do is get on your knees and pray. And if you have someone in your life like this, listen to Paul’s advice. Self-righteousness is a weed that will grow bigger and bigger until you humble yourself and allow the Lord to cut it down. The second group is where I want to be, even though learning this wouldn’t be fun or easy. Being content where you are at is not something you can manufacture in your own strength. In 1 Corinthians 7:20-24 Paul is telling the Corinthians to be content wherever God has placed them. He tells them to be content whether they are a slave or free and to not obsess over elevating their own status. If they were a slave they are now free in Christ, if they were free they are now slaves to Christ. The Egyptians believed that you could take earthy wealth with you into the next life but we can see their error so clearly in the rooms of treasure still found in the pyramids. Instead of obsessing over gaining as much earthly wealth as possible I need to set my heart on storing up treasures in heaven. There’s a quote that describes this so perfectly, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” I have plenty of food, clothing, and a relationship with Jesus, how blessed I really am!