Focus

Be still and rest in the Lord.

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Read

1 Timothy 6:6-19 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

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Reflect

1 Timothy 6:6:

6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

You cannot ever be truly content if you are not godly. But it is hard to put the two together. Given our basic human nature, this verse is not enough to compel many people to drop everything and follow God. We cannot set out one day and say, “Ah, I think I will be godly, like it or not!” It takes work to be godly, and it takes work to be content. You can plan on being unhappy as you take stock, throw out, search anew, and restock your life with godly elements.

The transformation includes constant God-communication, Bible-immersion, self-confession, and church-seeking. We will fall down, kick the wall, and resort to the bad habits; then, we get back up and push forward toward the prize of a higher calling. We also accept our better selves, which is hard for some to do. But the further we get along that journey toward godliness, the greater our satisfaction with our lives. Our desire becomes to do what God desires of us. When that happens, we find out what God had in mind for us all along, and we realize, “Hey, this is better than I could have planned.” Psalm 146: 5 says, “But joyful are those who have the God of Israel[a] as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”

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Pray

Oh God, Thank You for calling us all toward godliness. Thank You for Your high expectations of us. Thank You for helping us all along the way to pursue and achieve godliness with contentment. Thank you for the spirit eyes to see, accept, and rejoice in the moment or moments when we are more content because of the pursuit of godliness. In the name of our perfect Example, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Go with God!