Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Ti 6:6. Choosing to invest in a contented, godly lifestyle will yield incredibly rich returns. We will find our lives becoming less and less cluttered. In the place of our former cares, we will recognize increasingly clear thinking, evermore liberating joy, and deeper and deeper peace. Furthermore, our ability to accurately assess the immense value of these intangible assets will be greatly increased!

Covetousness is the archenemy of this contentment. A friend of mine recently invested over one hundred thousand dollars in an electromechanical innovation scam that promised to make all of the investors wealthy overnight. Additionally, the machine itself would be “such a blessing to mankind!” You will recognize the rhetoric. Grandiose promises quickly blind the eyes and contaminate the good judgment of Christians already infected by covetousness.

Covetousness is great loss with any potential financial losses the least of the problem. The true ravages of covetousness are much more serious: “They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Ti 6:9–10).

If you are a parent or a pastor, you know the burden of watching young people and others excessively fascinated by vehicles, clothes, and electronic devices. We do not want those in our care to experience loss. We hope and pray that they will instead discover the great gain of godliness with contentment!

As we think and pray about this matter, let’s consider the possibility that we may have fostered in them a spirit of covetousness by constantly encouraging them to think about earthly things. Philippians 3:19 describes in unflattering terms those people who mind earthly things. Young people and other immature believers who are taught to define their lives by what they “are allowed to have” or “aren’t allowed to have,” may well suffer great loss instead of great gain. When these things form an unhealthy focus in our minds and teaching, godly contentment is eroded, and a strange, cultic brand of covetousness emerges.

There is a better way! An unspeakably rich quality of life called godliness with contentment is available to all who will choose to remain enamored of the Holy One who is unseen and whose priceless gifts to us cannot be shaken, rusted, stolen or worn out. Let us be loyal always to our transcendent Lord Jesus Christ. After all, as Christians, "our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:20).

Very great gain, wouldn’t you say?

More on this subject:

• The Anabaptist Understanding of Wealth and Lifestyle
• Would You Like to Be Rich?
• Money: Mine, God's, or Someone Else's

Language

English

Author

Daniel Huber

Publisher

Pilgrim Mennonite Conference

Topics

Materialism