1 Timothy 6:1-19: Content to Descend into Godliness?

All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.

These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. - 1 Timothy 6:1-19 

 I think that one of the most difficult transitions in life is for someone who has stuff to live with less stuff. There is a myth of progress in the Christian world that says that each stage in life should lead to both greater godliness and greater comfort. If there is a step backward in the comfort department then it leads to a crisis of confidence because we lose all sense of what it means to be godly if the other areas are falling apart. We don't say it. We don't admit it, because to do so would be to look crass and materialistic. I like to use the thought experiment: what if I had to give up my car and buy and old beater to drive around and give up my house and live in a small rented place-what would I say to my friends? Could I face them? And how would I feel about myself? Could I feel confident? Could I say, as Paul did, "But godliness with contentment is great gain." and "If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." Could I be content to descend into godliness? I don't know. I haven't been asked that question by God and I'm afraid how I would truly answer that question.

1 Timothy 6:1-21: An Ambition to be Content

All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.

These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. - 1 Timothy 6:1-21

This follows on the same theme as the 1 Thessalonians passage: leading the life of contentment. The life of contentment leads to "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." Paul insists that this pattern of life is actually taking "hold of the eternal life to which you were called." It is a taste of the good life.

The life of discontent does the opposite: a fondness for money and/or controversy. The life of discontent leads to "envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people." Paul points out that money or lack of money should lead to the same place: "rich in good deeds and and to be generous and willing to share."

Discontent is a virtue promoted by our society as a motivator for change. Don't accept what is, get out and change it. Be the change you want to see in the world. But discontent also can lead us to compromising that which we hold most dear, including our respect for other people, peace of mind and an idolatry of self-protection. What if nothing ever changes? Do we sacrifice our lives on the altar of our ambition which cannot be satisfied? Ambition is best built on a foundation of contentment, learning to live as we are not some unspecified future as it might be.

1 Timothy 6:6: The Tale of Two CTOs

Just as you must pursue contentment, the paradox is that you also must pursue your dreams wholeheartedly.[1]

This morning I was mulling over a recent decision within my company to give me fewer new requisitions for new employees. I requested the new hires because the roadmap for our product was going to strain the limits of my small team: a new product already committed would start in only three months and we were still putting the finishing touches on our last two products. Yet, as I told my wife, I was at peace with the whole situation, and that struck me as odd, since I'm normally more of the worrier. But not today. My wife's comment was telling: "You have grown in this area."

One of the difficulties for me as an employee is the tension between contentment and dreaming. During my first stint as a CTO (Chief Technology Officer), I was invited to take part in a number of seminars and conferences where they asked my opinion about the pressing industry questions of the day because I was a subject-matter expert (SME). Then I would interact with some of the brightest thinkers in the PC industry, from major computer software and hardware companies about what the future would look like.

Then I would return back to my real job and try to convince the senior management that we should invest in some of these ideas: time, resources and people. But the truth was, we were so intent on the minutiae of day-to-day business that lifting our collective head to look at some of these opportunities was just too much work. So I was schizophrenic, discussing these big ideas with industry leaders but unable to get my company interested in them. The gap between my dreams and my actual situation grew until I gave up my CTO job and went back to being a senior architect.

This tension between longing and satisfaction torments many employees. In general, the American workplace encourages discontent by encouraging us to compare and look for the next opportunity. We are often dared to move, but seldom dared to stay. "Contentment ... is your choice to stay and grow and excel, for a season, regardless of current circumstances."[1]

At the same time, running away fromt the tension-toward complacency-stifles the soul. I backed away from the untenable situation into a role where the dreams were smaller but it was a season of growth in other areas.

Then, several years later, the company went through a bit of a turbulent time and I decided to look around for a new position. During one conversation, the interviewer asked me what position I was interviewing for and I was stumped! I had to ask to reschedule the rest of the interview! So I went away and when we talked again, I was ready: "CTO" The dream had been reignited and my fears had abated, so that I was willing again--this time in a larger company.

Even then I wasn't sure of my motives. During times of prayer over the next few weeks I prayed that my heart would be ready to hear God's "yes" or "no" to this new position-to surrender my goals into his hands with equanimity. Honestly, I was ready.

God did place me in a new company. But I will not forget the lessons of contentment vs. dreaming.

This plays into our spiritual lives as well. Paul said:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. - 1 Timothy 6:6

Godliness can be a demanding task master, if we let it. With Jesus as the highest standard, everything can be more, more, better, better, whether personally, working with a church or in serving others. After all, it was Paul who said, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12) The difference between the dream of who I could be, or how the church could be, can drive you crazy with discontent.[2]

But Jesus also said, "[Y]ou will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30). Any time I find that the gap between my dreams and my satisfaction is too large, I realize I have tied myself to the wrong taskmaster--it isn't Jesus. Many times, it is the slow, steady plodding through today that brings me to the place where God wants me to be.




[1] As highlighted previously in this blog series. See Leading from the Second Chair, M. Bonem & R. Patterson.
[2] The context, before and after, is dealing with money. Paul applies this general principle of the relationship between godliness and contentment to the specific case of people trying to get ahead financially. Godliness without contentment is discontented, even arrogant ambition. Contentment without godliness is either complacent or misdirected. Without godliness or contentment you have the fool of Proverbs.