Riches Without Contentment

Bible Reading: I Timothy 6:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 8 – “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

Key Words: let us be therewith content

How many of us can genuinely say that if all we had was food and raiment, would we be content? Now, while we as believers say that we believe the Bible do we put God’s Word into practice? Do we? Do we put I Timothy 6:8 into practice? 

Now, if you say yes, then beginning today for the next thirty days put your entire paycheck in the offering plate because God has promised to support your food and raiment when you put His kingdom first!! (Matthew 6) Now, let’s face reality – not a one of us are willing to do that because our contentment is not just based upon food and raiment. We want so much more. 

I read the following article sometime back. It so applies here. 

Dream On: Postwar Americans always cherished the expectation that their standard of living would improve with each generation. In polls at the onset of the Reagan era, two of every three respondents said they expected to be better off than their parents. Now, that figure is being reversed. Almost 3/4 of the 1,000 people who answered a Roper poll for Shearson Lehman Brothers say the American Dream is “harder to attain” than a generation ago. And 60% say achieving the dream requires more financial risk than it did for their parents. 

The poll also finds that some of the values held most dear during the 1980s – like wealth, power, and fame – are those that Americans are now most likely to deem “unimportant.” The most important elements of today’s American Dream center on family and friends. But money remains something to dream about. For Americans with household incomes under $25,000, it would take $54,000 a year to fulfill the American dream. Those who make $100,000 plus per year crave an average of $192,000. In other words, the American Dream usually lies nearly twice the distance away. 

Maybe as believers we need to re-evaluate where our contentment lies.

 

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞ Evaluate the following two questions. 1) Write down everything you want. 2) Write down everything you need. If in both cases, you wrote “nothing” you are on your way to contentment. If not, you have got some spiritual work that needs to be done in your life.