1 Timothy 6:3-10 · 1 Timothy 6:6 · Philippians 4:12 · Ephesians 4:28 · Hebrews 13:5 · 1 Timothy 6:11
Finances and Contentment
Biblical contentment means finding satisfaction in God and faithfulness to godly values rather than external circumstances. Christians should establish reasonable budgets, develop giving habits, maintain godly priorities, and cultivate thankfulness to experience true contentment.
Introduction
My topic today was to be the Christian’s ethics about finances. However, in preparing for today’s lesson, it struck me that the real basis for an ethical response to finances is the idea of contentment and so I have shifted a bit from the original plan. The idea of contentment applies to finances as well as much of life. Learning to be content with what we have is not an easy thing. Additionally, some believe that contentment and ambition are at odds and so anything which resembles ambition is derided as being without contentment. But the two ideas are not on opposites sides. So maybe what we need to do right at the beginning is define terms.
Definitions
Contentment is most often defined as being happy with one’s situation in life. And there is indeed an element of that within the word. Learning to accept life as it happens to us is certainly an important part of contentment. When Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:6 that godliness with contentment is great gain, the meaning of contentment is a bit different from our definition. The word comes from the Greek which means “self-sufficiency.” It has the idea of being independent of external circumstances. He couples this word with godliness to express the idea that real contentment is found in God. Contentment is being free from the externals and finding real dependence upon God. This same idea is found in Philippians 4:12 when Paul says that he has learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. His contentment is found in Jesus.
Biblical contentment then has to do with the idea of not allowing externals to determine our level of satisfaction. Instead we find our real satisfaction and dependency in Christ. So how does this affect ambition? Let’s look at it another way. Contentment for the Christian is not based on external circumstances. For the Christian, contentment has to do with the inner person. There is a reliance upon God and in particular there is faithfulness to one’s godly values. Contentment is knowing God’s plan for your life, having the conviction to live it, and believing that God’s peace is greater than the world’s problems. That seems to be what Paul has in mind in 1 Timothy 6. We are to not pursue wealth with a greedy attitude. Such an attitude demonstrates lack of faith in God and a denial of the realization that we can take nothing from this world. Greed is illogical. Do not confuse greed and ambition. Our motivation is important. Godly ambition seeks to honor God. God makes us people who want to pursue goals and greater heights. This God given desire is not wrong. It is how we use ambition that determines its rightness or wrongness. Godly contentment remains faithful to God’s values and truths even as we pursue lofty goals. Contentment and ambition which is of God work together rather than separately. For the Christian these are attitudes which honor the Father. Contentment, then, finds its basis in God not in external circumstances.
What we need to be sure of is that the values we have which honor God are held to very tightly. When we hold to these values in a godly way, then not only do we honor the Father but we also find contentment. We no longer need some external experience to make us feel good. We have learned the secret to what it means to be content. The external situations do not drive us, but knowing that we are remaining faithful to God and his values create within us a sense of contentment or satisfaction. Learning contentment is not easy, but it honors God.
God’s Plan
So how would God want us to look at our finances in light of this idea of contentment? First, establish a reasonable standard of living. The word reasonable may be too hard a target to hit. But there needs to be a budget or a plan for spending the money we have. Since there is no universal plan that is suitable for everyone, this must be a standard established in each family with God in mind. Just having an abundance is not a sign of God’s blessings. Satan can easily duplicate any worldly riches.
Second, establish a habit of giving. Paul says in Ephesians 4:28 that our wealth is so that we may share with those in need. God wants Christians to be involved with the needs of others. The question of how much to give always comes up. I will repeat myself from an earlier sermon. We have probably spent too much time trying to teach why we don’t have to give 10% of our income and not nearly enough time teaching that greed must be shunned at all costs. The story of the Rich Young Ruler comes to mind. Jesus tells him to sell all his has and give it to the poor. We spend much time explaining why this doesn’t have anything to do with us but that we must develop an attitude of giving. This is true. But we haven’t established an attitude of giving if we are still asking the question “how much do I have to give.” A giving attitude seeks ways to give.
Third, establish priorities. Many Christians are discontented, not because they aren’t doing well but because others are doing better. Too often we let the urgent things take priority over the important things. This is where our godly values must be maintained. We have to decide what is truly important and then be willing to allow those things to precedent over our desires. God said in Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Establish priorities which honor God and hold to the values which are set by him rather than by the world.
Fourth, develop a thankful attitude. Thankfulness is a state of mind, not an accumulation of assets. Until we can truly thank God for what we have and be willing to accept that as God’s provision for our lives, contentment never will be possible. Without a thankful spirit we begin to believe that God has somehow mistreated us. We begin to believe that he has withheld from us what is rightfully ours. We even begin to believe that we ought to have more.
When it comes to our finances, the idea of contentment is close at hand. True contentment recognizes that God is working in our lives and then trying to live connected to that plan. We pursue what this life has to offer so that we may honor the Father not for our own gain. True contentment means not allowing the external circumstances to dictate our inner satisfaction but finding real satisfaction in honoring God with our lives and our finances. 1 Timothy 6:11 reminds us that instead of pursuing worldly wealth for its own pleasures that as Christians we are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Indeed these values are not of this world but belong to God. When we pursue these things, we will find contentment and our finances will follow. What are you pursuing?
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