Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (1 Timothy 6:6-8)
Does God hate nice homes? Fun cars? Amazing vacations? Delightful meals? No. There is a streak of asceticism in the practice of Christianity that has been passed down through the ages, but that is more about the Greek distrust of the material world than with the biblical testimony. The Hebrew view of the world is that the world is good. Life is meant to be enjoyed. The problem isn’t the good things life offers and that money can buy, it’s the power these things have over our hearts, minds, and souls. THAT IS A PROBLEM!
The whole point of the biblical concept of a tithe is that by practicing that principle in our lives we are trusting God and creating a healthy relationship with our money. Now, that doesn’t mean that if I tithe, all is well in my life. The Pharisees tithed and found themselves on the wrong side of what God was doing in Jesus. Tithing is not some magic formula for a balanced spiritual life any more than eating my vegetables guarantees a healthy diet. It’s all part of the godly lifestyle both God and I desire to be developing in my life.
Money is the root of evil, not because it is inherently bad. It is the root of evil because of what it represents. Money offers the temptation to live life depending on our resources and not God’s. Money messes with my ability to practice gratitude and humility because the lure of money tends to make life about me because ultimately, my money does represent me. That’s why what I do with my money truly reveals my values. I can talk about a life of humble gratitude, lived faithfully depending on God for who I am and what I have, but words are just words when my behavior is screaming my self-centeredness and the inherent need to be in control and desire to live my way not God’s.
Giving away money to the work of God’s kingdom in this world creates a faith-action loop that is self-reinforcing. It also forces me to confront the need to cultivate contentment and simplicity in my life. Without those things developing over time, it is difficult, if not impossible, to sustain the faithful giving loop. Operating in the background at all times is the need for gratitude being the overall environment in our lives.
Contentment traces its roots to the French word for having “restrained desires.” Contentment doesn’t mean we’re dead with no desire whatsoever, but that our desires are moderated by self-control. Among the deadly sins is sloth, and contrary to popular opinion, a big part of sloth isn’t sloppiness—it’s an unwillingness to exert some effort at moderating our behavior. Sloth sets up an environment in which lust and greed get to run wild without any boundaries. This is where cultivating gratitude and submitting to the prayerful discipline of fasting from “things” as well as food can help moderate our appetites.
Living simpler lives is a variation on the same theme. The more complex our lives are the more the demands of simply maintenance of our “stuff” occupies our time and thoughts. Finding ways to simplify our lives will leave more room for the things of God which, when we are worried and harried, gets pushed to the edges instead of the center of our lives. This is true not only of our money, but also with our time commitments. More is not necessarily better, although that’s the message our culture constantly screams.
We’ll talk more Sunday about the challenge of loving God and our neighbor as we love of ourselves, when our money and stuff occupy too much of our time and attention. Giving some of our money and stuff away is the anecdote to what ails us, but it’s a tough bottle to drink from for some of us.
Now for what’s on my desk…
The 752 Prayer commitment is more than just one more thing to do in otherwise busy schedules. We’re starting to get reports back from families, single parents, and a few others, that the commitment is paying off in unexpected ways. That’s what happens when we adopt these kind of vital practices. They don’t seem all that important, but they end up shaping us in godly ways.
Head’s up. There’s an opportunity to be a part of a small group discussing the sermons during Lent. We’ll be working through some of the tough stuff Jesus said and did as recorded in the gospel of Mark. Watch for more details.
Now you know what I know.
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