1 Tim. 6:6-12, Contentment vs. covetousness (1)

1)    Definition: realizing God has provided everything I need for my present happiness.

2)    Scripture: Prov. 1:10-19; 3:31; 5:18-20; 6:6-11; 12:11,12,14; 13:7,25; 14:14; 20:13; 24:1-2; 25:16; 27:20; 1 Tim. 6:6-12; Heb. 13:5-6; Phil. 4:11-19; 2 Cor. 3:5; 9:8; Matt. 6:19-34; Gen. 17:1-8.

3)    Underlying Principle: God is our sufficiency, our Portion.  He is El Shaddai, the all-sufficient God.

4)    Illustrations:

a)    1 Sam. 7:15-8:22: Israel’s demand for a king was, in fact, a rejection of God.

b)    Mark 10:35-45: The covetousness of the Twelve was evident in the desire for honor in the kingdom of Christ.

c)    John 6:1-14: The feeding of the 5000 was a means by which Jesus taught the Twelve what it meant to trust God as they serve Him.

d)    Gen. 14:17-24: Abram’s response to the king of Sodom showed his trust in God.

5)    Bible Study.

a)    What is the opposite of contentment?  Is it “being rich” or “wanting to be rich?”  Of course, it is the latter.  The Christian who has come to be content is one who knows that having God is, in the end, all that one needs.  You can be content because you know God is with you (Heb. 13:5).  Asaph struggled with contentment when he saw how prosperous the wicked around him seemed to be (Ps. 73).  He found peace when he could say from his heart, There is none upon earth that I desire besides You.   My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (73:25-26).

b)    Does contentment mean we don’t need to be diligent in our vocation?  Can we just say, “God will provide for me”?  The Biblical answer is, “of course not.”  In fact, a major aspect of God’s provision normally is that a man provides for his family through hard work.  A study of Proverbs (6:6-11; 12:11; 20:13) tell us that hard work provides for material needs, even to the point of abundance and food to spare.  He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding (12:11).  Paul dealt with Christians with a lackadaisical approach to work in the Church of Thessalonica (2 Thess. 3:6-15).  The bottom line was, If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat (3:10). 

There is more to come on this subject.  As God wills.