October 27th, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Learn Contentment

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Opening Prayer

Lord, You are the God of tradition and innovation, the new and the old. Do a new thing in me today.

Read 1 Timothy 6:6-21

[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. [11] But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. [12] Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. [13] In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you [14] to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, [15] which God will bring about in his own time-God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, [16] who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. [17] Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. [18] Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. [19] In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. [20] Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, [21] which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“The secret of contentment is not to add to a person’s possessions but to take away their desires” (Epicurus, Greek Philosopher, 341-270 BC). Or, perhaps to change our desires (Psa. 37:4).

Think Further

Why is it that having so much we’re still dissatisfied? Contentment remains elusively out of reach. Yet the answer is not found in having more, but in appreciating what we have already. For all we have is more than we came with, and we leave everything behind when we die. Yet we feed the desire for the latest, newest and best. We forget our childhood experiences, delighted with new gifts one day, yet bored by the end of the week. Far from finding satisfaction, we become addicted to consumerism, run up debts we cannot pay, and bring our carefully structured lives crashing down around us.

There is another way, one that echoes Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12. It is to concentrate on the things that last: Christian character, faith and witness. The energy that is expended in accumulating should be channeled into service for Christ, with all the demands that makes. The single-minded example of Jesus, serving others while focused on the cross, should challenge and inspire us to live differently. Beautiful lives for God are far more attractive than simply “stuff,” whatever the label or price tag. What a pity if all we can present before Christ at the end is an expensive house or an impressive bank account.

Paul reminds Timothy that wealth can make people arrogant and replace reliance on God with dependence on money. This effectively closes the door on God. Yet it is God who lavishes good gifts on us and who encourages us to pass them on to others. Do that and you are investing with a guaranteed return. There is no need for the small print that reminds us that the value of investments can go down as well as up.

Apply

It is so instinctive to see what we don’t have rather than what we have. Count your blessings and pray for the ability to be thankful for daily blessings.

Closing prayer

Lord, there seems to be a conspiracy to drain contentment and thankfulness from my life. Grant me a positive, grateful attitude.

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