“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
Tonight my wife and I went out for a date. We also ran some errands. We went to a thrift store and got some fall clothes. We stopped by Home Depot to get a few things for the yard. We ran by Christmas Tree Shops to get some fall decorations. We stopped at Burlington Coat Factory to get a new winter jacket for me. All the while, we celebrated our great deals. We had a gift card, and some coupons, and the entire night cost a fraction of what it could have. Yet when I read verses like this I begin to wonder: am I content?
Paul here sets an ideal for the follower of Jesus: godliness with contentment. In case we need a clearer standard he lays out what he means: “if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” The point is clear: unbridled desire is dangerous, and unbridled desire means wanting more than an adequate amount of food and clothing. It is especially dangerous because it is especially easy to justify. We can so easily make excuses. Yet at its core the issue is simple: am I content or do I spend my life wanting more?
Here’s your freedom for today: God has empowered you to take mastery over your desires. You are not their slave. If we choose the pathway of self-denial, we will eventually find our self-centered desires being transformed into godly desires. If we choose to say “no” to our desires, we will eventually find ourselves learning contentment. That is an exciting promise, because as Paul says “true godliness with contentment is great wealth.”