Do You Always Need More Stuff?
Do you struggle to be content with what you have, or are you always wanting more? In 1 Timothy 5–6, Paul gives Timothy practical instructions for church leadership and personal conduct.
1 Timothy 5-6
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Do you struggle to be content with what you have, or are you always wanting more?
In 1 Timothy 5–6, Paul gives Timothy practical instructions for church leadership and personal conduct. Chapter 5 emphasizes caring for various groups in the church, including widows, elders, and the vulnerable, while maintaining fairness and accountability. In chapter 6, Paul addresses the dangers of greed and false teaching before stating these words:
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
As Andreas Köstenberger notes, “Contentment, defined as ‘self-sufficiency,’ was considered a virtue in Greek (Cynic-Stoic) philosophy.”[1] However, this was not the form of contentment Paul was talking about. Paul was not talking about “self-sufficiency but Christ-sufficiency.”[2] This satisfaction is deep and unwavering because it is rooted in who Jesus is. It’s the realization that life is short and that material positions are of no eternal value.
Also, notice how the CSB translates verse 10: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” This is a more literal translation than some alternatives and helps us see that money is not in and of itself evil. It’s amoral. Some people have a lot, and some people have a little. But it does come with a tremendous responsibility.
