Hello and happy Monday. The holidays are over, work has restarted, and today the kids are back off to school. The fun and frivolity of the holidays have passed. The grind of the real world is back. In fact, today's study is going to tie in well with “the grind.” I have learned through life that even when loving what you do, that at times it can become a little monotonous. The routines and patterns from day to day of performing the same duties, requirements and tasks just have a way of wearing us down a bit. If we’re all honest, daily life at times can be, well, a little bit of a beating.
The funny thing about our lives is what we expect it to be and where we actually get these expectations. We have such a fantastical measuring stick, that it’s no wonder our lives can at times, seem boring or unsatisfying. The true dilemma in battling this boredom and monotony is really perspective. Perspective between the real world and the world perceived. For instance, I enjoy action and adventure movies and books. Stories about exploring wild, exotic lands. Tales of searching for rare artifacts in overgrown jungles. Yarns about looking for lost treasures on the sunny beaches of the Caribbean. Stories about pirates on the high seas, free to live with the sea breeze in their faces. So, when I think of life, I think of adventure. I think that my life should be a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond, Blackbeard and Spiderman. It sounds funny, but sorry, that’s of course not real life. And it’s not just guys. Some women spend hours in front of the Hallmark channel romanticizing about that perfect love that happens over Christmas with the lights and snow perfectly framing them as they snag the hunk at the last of the movie. Just not real. You see, we are bombarded with so many entertainment options that its quite easy for us to dispend reality and dream of so many other things than our rather ordinary, monotonous lives. In my lifetime I have seem video games go from Atari's Space Invaders to role playing games so realistic, so graphic and so involving that many in our younger generations are no less than addicted to donning a different personality and completely living a new life through a game. Somewhere in the midst of this struggle between reality and perception we are told this morning in God’s Word to find and rest in contentment. Let’s explore what contentment is and how we might actually find it in today’s world.
Today in chapter 6 of 1 Timothy, Paul is wrapping up his first letter to Timothy. In an effort to help His young brother in Christ, he is offering God’s wisdom on pastoring the church at Ephesus in a way that would please God. Paul shifts gears from the last 2 chapter’s practical study of Deacons, Elders, and doctrine, and today delves into contentment and money. Both topics today, that if we handle them God’s Way, can completely and utterly transform our lives. Let’s look at God’s Words on contentment:
“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. 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.”
In my struggle with contentment throughout my life, I have found it all really comes down to one question. “What exactly do you think you deserve out of life?” Or maybe better, “what do you think this life owes you?” Do you deserve a new car? A job that pays 6 figures? Do you deserve a bigger house in a specific neighborhood? You see, lack of contentment stems from one thing…selfishness. And selfishness stem from one thing…pride. When we feel that the world owes us something, we are living only in oursleves. Wrapped up in ourselves and little else. It reminds me of a saying, "A man wrapped up in hismself, makes a small package." True, indeed.
I’ve heard it related that everyone of us is born with a hole in our heart. That hole is shaped like God. Only God can fill that hole. We can try every single item, experience, or substance in the world but none of them will be able to satiate and perfectly fill the void that God built within each of us. You see, in our effort to fill that void in our heart, we invite in the things of the world, thereby granting turmoil a front row seat in our lives.
We are impressionable creatures. We are also very observant creatures. We are constantly looking. Looking at our neighbors, looking at our co-workers, looking at friend’s lives on Facebook, looking at those close to us and around us. As we are looking, we are drawing conclusions. Sometimes consciously, sometime unconsciously. We are drawing conclusions about our own lives. We are staring at a buffet of lifestyles and we are picking out of these what pleases us the most. If I had the education of Steve over there, I’d be happier, he has a PHD and I only have a Masters. I went to Sally’s house the other night and her house was bigger than mine and very well decorated, I just got a raise, I could probably afford to get a bigger house now. John’s kids go to private school, I should probably send my kids to private school too and get that bumper sticker for the back of my car. And speaking of cars, mine is a few years old and no longer keeping up with the neighbors and the parking lot at work, I’ve been working really hard, I think I deserve a new car. You might think these all sound a bit improbable, but I beg to differ. Not only are these true, but I have held and even acted on many of these personally. They can happen before you even know it.
You see the pursuit of these is really the pursuit of money. You can’t really get anything in the world today without money, so just go for the money right? Notice in this passage is one of the most mis-quoted verses in God’s Word. The one about the love of money. So we often hear it as “Money is the root of all evil” but there’s three words that so often get left out…the love of. The verse is “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” You see money in itself is amoral, on it’s own it’s powerless. It can be used for good or bad. It depends who holds the dollar bill. If I gave you 1 million dollars you could build a hospital for sick children in Africa or you could buy yourself a yacht. It’s your choice not the moneys. So to clarify this verse, money is not evil, it’s one’s love of money that creates the problems.
So, contentment. What is it, where does it come from and where do you get it? Contentment is defined as “living in a state of satisfaction and peace.” Another is, “being pleased with your situation and not hoping for change or improvement.” I think both of those do a great job of summing up contentment. So, the million dollar question is, how can I really become content? Well, I think the answer is the same as all other answers involving our lives here on this planet, your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see, God is not just a random God. God is not one of many. God is not a distant unattainable God. The God of the universe is a personal God. He is available to you and to me. In fact, not only that, but He seeks you out and desires a personal relationship with you! Yes, this is rather amazing, but that’s true and indicative of the loving, merciful, grace-filled God we serve. If you have called upon the precious name of Jesus to save you from your sins, then you are experiencing this personal relationship on some level today. But, just like any relationship, quality time together grows the relationship. This is true with our friends and its true with the Lord. As we spend more time with God in His Word and through prayer, He will draw closer than ever before. As He does, the bonds of love grow deep between a Savior and a sinner and life begins to look much different.
You see back to my original question, “what is it that you think you deserve out of this life?” Well, if your walking closely with Jesus then hopefully today you can answer that question, “I am living with exactly what Jesus wants for me today.” You see if are resting in the peace of our Savior, then He’s allowing you a beautiful glimpse of contentment. He has moved into your heart and perfectly filled that void and as a result you long for nothing. Money can’t fill that void. Material items can’t fill that void. Alcohol or drugs cannot fill that void. Do you see why? It has already been filled. It’s been filled to overflowing.
Do this. Go into your backyard and dig a hole 3’ by 3’ by 6’ deep. When it’s dug, leave it untouched for a week. After that week, go check out the hole. What’s in it? Well, anything could have fallen in it. Leaves, sticks, trash, dirt. Who knows, since it’s 6 feet deep a small animal could have even fallen in. (poor little guy) Now I want you fill in the hole with concrete. (take out the animal first) As you do the concrete being a muddy, liquid, paste, will fill in every nook, cranny , crevice and recess of the hole. Smooth off the top. Make sure it is nice and level and let it dry. Ok, now I want you to put all the dirt back in the hole. What? That’s impossible to do right? You see, I think this is a picture of Godly contentment. When God fills that void in our heart, it’s permanent. He fills us up completely and there is no longer room for things to fall into that hole. We no longer are trying to fill in that hole with the things of this world, that concrete is hard and true, it won’t budge.
Contentment starts and stops with Jesus Christ. All men and women are created with this void and it can only be filled with a Savior named Jesus. If you are struggling with contentment today, you are struggling with Jesus. How close is He? Are you growing closer to Him through daily time in His Word? Are you casting your care, anxieties and worries on Him through prayer? Are you a contributing member of a local body of Christ and enjoying sweet fellowship time with other believers? Are you serving God and serving others with the talents and abilities He has blessed you with? If your answer is “no” or “kinda” to these questions, you can fix it. You can start anew today. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” The impetus is on you, make the effort to get close to Him and He promises He will be near.
I pray today that you are walking a content life in what the Lord has provided for you. He has given you all that you need today, and you need nothing else. Rest in this truth and the peace of contentment will wash over you like a warm Caribbean breeze.
God bless you in your pursuit of Him.
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