ANTI-AVARICE

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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Have you ever been content? Have you ever looked at yourself, your life, your family, your finances, and your purpose in life and thought, “I am blessed and grateful for all that the Lord has provided”? 

If you said yes, then congratulations. Most of us would probably say that contentment is something of a dream, something that we hope to aspire to one day. In today’s devotion we are going to dive into the idea of contentment and see how this elusive concept lies behind one of God’s greatest blessings. 

In the passage below, we hear a message given by the Holy Spirit to the church through the wisdom of the Apostle Paul:

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 

7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 

9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 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. 

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 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.

(1 Timothy 6:6-12 NIV11)

Principle

In verse six we heard the big idea of this teaching, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” This simple statement carries a huge meaning. 

•   Godliness – Value what God values. 
•   See the heart of God in the message of the Bible and ask the Lord to help you mirror the character and heart of the Lord.  
•   Contentment – Being grateful for God’s gifts. 
•   Receive the blessings of the Lord with thanksgiving rather than wishing that the Lord would give you what you believe he has given to others.

Nothing

In verse 7 we are told, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” This principle is a massive source of contentment when we fully understand its meaning. 

One of the things I am grateful for is the fact that the Lord has not done what we see in so many false religions as they instruct their followers to amass treasure and wealth that will impact their situation on the other side of life. 

When we die, we exit empty handed. We do not take any of our titles, our wealth, our accumulated treasures with us into the presence of the Lord. Before the Lord we are simply the people that the Lord created us to be in this life. 

If we want to live lives of significance that will impact our eternity, then we must seek to live in such a way that leads the Lord to look upon our lives with joy. As we seek to mirror the heart of God in our treatment of others and our service to God’s people, the Lord is blessed and that is the only treasure that carries over from this life to our eternal life in Christ.

Love of money

In verses 9-10, we are told that the choice to pursue avarice, the love of money, is the root of real evil and misery in our lives.  

Pursuit of wealth as a primary aim for the meaning of life brings constant discontent. If we do not live for an eternal purpose, something provided to us by the Lord, then we will ask too much of our material wealth as we look to our things to bring our lives meaning. 

Remember, you cannot take any of it with you, and this realization alone should help you develop a better perspective on the value of wealth. All that you acquire becomes the property of others when you are done with this life. There is no way that more money can bring eternal joy and happiness. 

Flee / Fight / Take Hold

In verses 11-12 we are told to, “flee, pursue, fight, and take hold”. Passivity towards the pursuit of worldly treasure will result in failure and pain. 

The lure of worldly treasure is like gravity, it is a constant, unseen, and seemingly irresistible force. If we do not wake up to the dangers of misplaced priorities in relation to our pursuit of more money, more status, and more recognition then we will find ourselves wandering away and piercing our hearts with unnecessary grief. 

This is a call to take action. What you claim to be true, what you hold to be right concerning the purpose of your life, needs to be seen in your actions. Aligning our hearts with the Lord’s in this area of life will bring us more joy and peace than can be found in the treasures held dear by this temporary world. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I want to share your heart and your perspective on the stuff of my life. Help me see the truth about my love of money. Where I have wandered away from your values, please convict me of this error and lead me back into your pleasing and perfect will. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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