Godliness with contentment

I Timothy 6:6-8 (NIV)

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 

Here’s a thought-provoking question: Does a richer, highly materialistic life produced a better life?  Do people who have the most possessions have the greatest happiness?  Of course, the answers are “no”, yet why do so many people, even Christians, pursue riches and materialism?

It’s one thing to believe that materialism is the only reality in the universe.  Those who believe this have absolutely no room for God in their lives.  It’s another thing to be materialistic in more subtle ways that endangers the testimony of a Christian and positions him/her to be serving the wrong master (Matthew 6:24).

Paul reminds his readers that you need to be content with whatever you have.  You must be on guard against the natural human urge to be more eager financial and materialistic gain than spiritual gain.  Indeed the word contentment (autarkeia) is a technical Greek philosophical term for the virtue of independence from material goods.    

So many years ago when I was graduating from high school the superintendent of my school system wrote the following story to the senior class in the school newsletter.  Likely you have heard this before too, but it’s worth repeating here:

"In 1928 a group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. The following were present: The president of the largest utility company, The greatest wheat speculator, The president of the New York Stock Exchange, A member of the President’s Cabinet, The greatest “bear” in Wall Street, The president of the Bank of International Settlements, The head of the world’s greatest monopoly. Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the U.S. Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples.

Twenty-five years later, this is what had happened to these men. The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life and died broke. The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cutten, died abroad, insolvent. The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, served a term in Sing Sing Prison. The member of the President’s Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home. The greatest “bear” in Wall Street, Jesse Livermore, committed suicide. The president of the Bank of International Settlements, Leon Fraser, committed suicide. The head of the world’s greatest monopoly, Ivar Drueger, committed suicide.”

John W. Rockefeller said, “I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness.” W. H. Vanderbilt said, “The care of $200 million is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it.”  John Jacob Astor said, “I am the most miserable man on earth.  Henry Ford was known to have said, “I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job.”  Andrew Carnegie said, “Millionaires seldom smile.”

All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live with contentment. 

Paul claims that godliness with contentment is great gain.  Godliness is being more focused on God than on yourself (John 3:30).  Contentment comes from learning to be satisfied with the basics of life.  Contentment is reinforced and strengthened by decreasing the focus on yourself and being more concerned for others.  The more that you serve others rather than serving yourself, the more content about your life you will be.  What great gain in life it is to be content with what God has given you.