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.

Paul clearly lays out what the problem with money is. Having enough money for food and clothing is not a sin. Desiring great wealth is. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil”.

What about you? Do you have a desire for great wealth? Why? Consider other factors that may be involved in your feeling as if you need great wealth. Are you feeling insecure? Great wealth will not help you feel more secure. That comes from a loving personal relationship with a living God and Savior.

A friend of mine finds it hard to give to others because of bad past experiences with an over zealous Christian who gave away money to the point there wasn't enough to feed and clothe the family. His knee jerk reaction is one of confusion and fear when it comes to money. Fear there will not be enough to provide. His gut instinct is to hoard money. By being frugal his wife is constantly showing him that they can afford plenty to eat and clothe themselves, and they can increase their standard of living. He can see God providing generously for them. My friend finds that even that puts her husband in a conflicted position with money. When he sees 'extra' money, he doesn't know what he should do with it. He likes to spend it...on electronics, movie DVDs, eating out, or being generous to her by telling her she can buy whatever she wants, etc. His feast or famine approach to money is very confusing, frustrating and exhausting for her.

The other night the heat was unbearable. Paul pulled out the flannel pajamas I made him several years ago, to wear. I teased him, asking if he didn't have some summer pajamas. In fact, he did not. He pulled out a pair of sweat shorts and used them. I told him it was alright...he could buy some summer pajamas...we have the money. In fact, we could probably afford silk ones if he wanted. We had a good laugh over that.

My Paul does not like change. It will take him awhile to get around to buying those new pajamas, and I might even have to nag him a bit about it. In the end, he will buy what is comfortable, not what is most expensive or 'looks good'. He's after contentment, not status. That's my Paul.

Note that the apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy above, said “if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” Paul does not expect us, or Timothy, or anyone to go without the basics. That is what we need to be emphasizing in our homes and our mission work. Aside from spiritual nourishment, food and clothing for everyone in the world is our mandate...after providing the same for our own family. Anything else is icing on the cake...an extra. It's pretty hard to concentrate on, or believe in, the Christian message (or any message for that matter) if you are cold and hungry.

Why didn't Paul include a car and house in the list? Paul was talking to the missionaries of his day. He was not concerned about them finding a home to live in or getting from point A to point B. Travel was simple in those days – donkey, camel or by foot. For his missionaries it often meant travel by foot. Only the rich afforded camels, and donkeys were farm animals. It was expensive enough to feed yourself on the road, let alone a donkey.

Paul wanted the world to be home for his missionaries. He wanted them out there bringing people hope! They were sent into homes that were already Christian, to stay and use as a base of operations in the many towns and cities they visited. Obviously the need for Christian homes to rest their heads was important to their ability to evangelize. Another example that Christians are called to hospitality.

Reading this passage makes me very grateful for the home, car and things I have that go beyond mere clothes and food. They are truly gifts from God...to be used for His purposes. So while my neighbours turn their nose up at our one car lifestyle, I smile and get onto other things. We have no need of a second car. I am thankful for the one we have. And while some people do not like to visit our home in permanent renovation, I smile and am thankful I have a home worth renovating. God has been very gracious to us indeed. Too gracious!

Contentment is making do with what you have. I am finding at my stage in life, it pays to go 'shopping' in the house before heading to the store. After 27 years of marriage, you tend to collect things. Usually I can find something to fill the need I have without even stepping outside my door. Contentment is partly about making do with what works, rather than needing the newest, trendiest gadget to do the job.

Contentment is also about being content in Christ. Knowing that whatever we need, he will provide. Knowing that whatever befalls us, we can handle it with him by our side. Knowing that when we feel down and out, he is there to lift us up and give us hope, through bible study, prayer, Christians or other people period. God can work through anyone and anything.

Being content in Christ makes us more content with what we have in this physical world. We realize the ephemeral nature of the world around us. It is here today, gone tomorrow. We can't take it with us. It is temporary in nature. That new computer at $3000 today is worth peanuts a few years down the road. Why spend money on something so ephemeral in nature? That's why we hold onto our computers for ten years – we refuse to replace them with the newest latest computer every two to three years. We are content. If God wants us to communicate with the world, he'll find a way. God can do anything he wants.

This approach is also environmentally friendly. By hanging onto things until they absolutely die, and then recycling when possible, we reduce our impact on the environment.