Tuesday, May 19, 2009

An Equation for Living

Sometimes we ask – what can that person give me? Why have them in my life? Would they make me laugh? Buy me awesome presents? Make me feel loved? Remind me I’m beautiful? Or maybe we ask – what can this new experience give me? Could a trip to Hawaii make me fill happy and at peace? Would a new pair of shoes make me feel worthy? 

In asking this – you are saying to God – you haven’t given me enough. I want more. Just like the Israelites were not happy with miracle bread that fell from the sky, they wanted meat. 

What would happen if we stopped asking about gain and start living the equation found in 1 Timothy 6:6-10:

 “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 

The equation: Godliness + Contentment = Great Gain 

Pastor James Macdonald explains that godliness is always wanting more of God – the one thing that the Bible says we are allowed to covet and desire. Godliness is a want to always better ourselves. However, 1 Timothy explains that along with that desire, we should temper others. Contentment is defined as satisfaction in God’s sufficient provision, to rest in what one has and seek nothing more. It is a settled sense of peace with what God has given you. Contentment is refraining from saying, “If I had this, I would be happy” or “God, if you give me this, then I will truly be blessed” etc. A lack of contentment leads to the foolishness of having no course, no settled purpose, a back and forth bounce from one thing to another in an attempt to find happiness. Desire for gain is not wrong – but it has made many people desire wrongly, barking up the wrong tree. 

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the light.” That is all we need, right? A way to God, the truth of his word, and the light of his love and teaching to help us see this way and truth. 


There is a story of a young preacher who was ready to give his first sermon. He planned his sermon around Matthew 6:20-21 – “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” However, he thought his first day at the pulpit required a nicer suit. He didn’t have a lot of money, so he thought he would try the pawn shop on the corner. He walked in and to his surprise he saw rows and rows of black suits. He walked over to the counter and asked the attendant, “I never thought the pawn shop would carry so many suits. That is exactly what I came in for.” The attendant explained that the suits came from a local funeral home that went out of business. They were the suits that the dead were buried in, but, of course, had not been used yet. The young pastor combed the racks and found a suit that fit him perfectly. He went home and prepared his notes; however, when he went to place his notes in the pocket of the suit, he found that the suit jacket had no pockets. What a perfect metaphor for his sermon. You see, the suit was made for the deceased and since the dead cannot take anything with them out of this world, why would they need pockets? 

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