“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Ph 4:11)
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Tim 6:6)
Father, let my heart rest in you, my eyes feast on Christ, my soul enjoy your eternal pleasures.
If we are going to talk about money, we have to talk about contentment. The central reason money brings the heart such great problems is that the heart is not content. People think money is a source of contentment, and many people who would tell you it is not a source of contentment still live as if it is, which means that even they think it to be a source of contentment despite what they say.
Contentment is the vaccine against greed, the antidote to the poison of materialism. People pursue money in order to be content, but God created us to find contentment in Him. Money is, thus, a rival god to the Lord Almighty. If you are content in Christ, you feel no need for reams of money. It can’t give you anything you don’t already have. In fact, if you pursue it, it can steal what you do have. Many people trade away contentment in Christ so they can have money, and the irony of it is that they do so in the pursuit of contentment.
It is crucial for us to see how interrelated contentment and money are. When Paul says he has learned to be content in all things (Ph 4:11), the context deals with his material situation:
“I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” (Ph 4:12)
When Paul tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain (I Tim 6:6), he begins a conversation on the desire for riches:
“. . . for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (I Tim 6:7-10)
Scripture ties contentment to the desire for money. You can be content or you can desire to be rich, but you cannot be both. You can be content or you can love money, but you cannot be both. You have to choose. Will you be content? Or will you pursue riches?
If you choose contentment, you will pursue Jesus. You will love Him with all your heart. You will honor Him, serve Him, rest in Him, and enjoy Him. And when you enjoy Jesus, money fades into the distance. But if you pursue riches, you will know many senseless and harmful desires that plunge your soul into ruin. You will pierce yourself with pangs and may even wander away from the faith. You may gain great riches and know an outward and transitory happiness, but it will prove to have no foundation and will crumble at the slightest threat of loss. True contentment is deep-seated and can endure trouble and lack. Ask Paul. Money will never give you that.
If I had only one thing to say about how to relate to money, it would be this: Be content in Christ. If you will do that, so much else concerning money will fall into place.
