1 Timothy 6:6-7 - But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
There are many things that we can gain in this life, whether that be financial wealth, material possessions, numerous relationships or anything else. Much of our lives are dedicated to gaining these things, to the point where we give our time and energy to make these dreams a reality. However, what do we do when those things are stripped from us? What do we do with the understanding that we can’t take any of these things with us when we die?
This verse calls us to gain something far more beneficial and permanent. In fact, it calls us to gain two things. The first is godliness and the second is contentment. Paul writes that if we have these two things together that we will have great gain. Why would that be? What is it about these two things that are of greater gain than all of the other things that we typically strive for?
Let’s look at godliness first. If you pursue worldliness, you are going to look like the world, act like the world and want what the world wants. Unfortunately, the world is a confused and broken place, so to pursue worldliness would be an ultimately fruitless endeavor. Pursuing godliness on the other hand is about God, looking like him, acting in a way that pleases him, and wanting what he wants. Now, if God were a terrible god, full of as much brokenness and evil as the world, then godliness would be a horrible thing to gain, but because God is perfect in all of his attributes and gloriously good, living for him will produce a tremendous amount of good.
Think of it this way, if God is a bonfire in the midst of a cold, dark night, the closer we get to him, the more light and warmth will come into that dark, cold night. Now, what happens if I take some of that fire and make a torch that I then carry out into the darkness? Well, I then will be a light in the darkness that may bring other people back to the bonfire where they too can be safe and warm.
Pursuing God is good for us personally because it fills us with God, but it is also good for the world around us that is so blinded by the darkness that it doesn’t even know how great it is to rest in the presence of God, our great bonfire in the dark. It is in remembering how great it is to be in God’s presence that we find contentment to accompany godliness.
Contentment is great gain for us because there is peace and rest in it. When we are content we are satisfied, wanting nothing. The only place we can find contentment like this is in God. The world can give us bursts of satisfaction, but nothing that lasts very long, especially when it comes to eternity. The contentment that you gain in God today, will be a contentment that you can have forever, and that truly is great gain.
Christian, pursue godliness and contentment in God. These are two things that will change your life for the better and that will carry through from this world to the next. Your satisfaction in God and your growth in godliness today will be hope and strength for you tomorrow.
