How to Find Contentment

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Great and mighty God, You are worthy of praise. You give hope to the hopeless, rest for the weary, and security for all eternity.

Read 1 Timothy 6:3-10

^[3] If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ^[4] they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ^[5] and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. ^[6] But godliness with contentment is great gain. ^[7] For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ^[8] But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ^[9] Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ^[10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Meditate

Our bank statement may reveal more about our faith than any statement of belief. How you get, save, and spend your money says a lot about your faith.

Think Further

The Christian community relies on sound teaching to keep members faithful to Jesus Christ. Today’s passage mentions two key areas that require careful attention: sound teaching and a healthy view of wealth. The church needs teachers capable of connecting the Gospel with the lives of the congregation.

The Christian community can be led astray by false teaching (4b-5). In their world, there are many distributors of information, including the Internet, television, and the mass media. These offer information overload, and much of the information is unreliable. There are also other generators of information. For example, academia is always looking for new and provocative ideas. The Christian community needs to be savvy and alert, capable of discerning the elements of truth in the information offered by different sources. False teachers always seek for something new and attractive, whether it is truthful or not. They have an “unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words” (4). False teachers are not interested in the truth; often their interest is financial gain (5).

Christians can be led astray by the temptations of wealth. A godly perspective on possessions is based on a biblical values system that governs life, not on the financial worth of the person. A godly perspective produces contentment with what one has (6). Ambition and greed lead to incorrect perspectives. Financial growth may easily distort the perception of life (9). We live in a world that tends to solve everything with a “money first” philosophy. For the Christian, being consumed with gaining wealth can distort godly priorities.

Paul invites us to consider the virtues and values that identify a good teacher. Teachers adjust their teaching to Jesus Christ and “godly teaching” (3). A godly teacher avoids ungodly purposes and attitudes (4-5). Godly teachers do not center their role in financial gain (7-8). They teach a correct Christian perspective about money (9-10).

Apply

How can the church develop godly teachers who always lead others to the truth?

Closing prayer

Lord, it seems that every day temptations loom larger than life: attractive, appealing false teaching; the lure of money. I need Your empowering presence with me to walk in Your ways.

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