September 08, 2026 | Be Connected
Godliness with Contentment
Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:3-10(NIV)
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 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 5 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.
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 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. 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.
Devotional
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want
(Philippians 4:12)
Contentment.......That feeling of being satisfied and happy. Or another way to describe it is “inner sufficiency” (Tony Evans Study Bible). In our culture, gaining that feeling of “inner sufficiency” is hard to come by. We’re inundated with messages 24/7 that tell us what we have isn’t enough or that we should always be looking for more. We’re not pretty enough or skinny enough or healthy enough or rich enough. We don’t drive the best car or have the biggest house or wear the right clothes. When is enough, enough
In 1 Timothy, we hear a different message. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” What’s missing from all those messages we hear from culture? Godliness. Or putting God first in our lives. The key to becoming content is to make God the center of our lives. And then, the more we strive to “Be Connected” to God, the more we will be content with what God is doing for us in the here and now.
And then we hear, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” Or to put it a more familiar way, “You can’t take it with you.” We accumulate, accumulate and accumulate......for what? Yes, we should plan for our future, but we should also be concerned with how we spend our money today. Are we being generous to those we see around us? Are we using our wealth to do good in the world? The Psalmist put it this way, “People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20)
The accumulation of money is one of the primary reasons people feel discontent. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Purely having money is not the problem, but the love of money is. Striving for more and more can be a slippery slope and can cause us to put wealth ahead of our spiritual lives and our relationship with God. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21)
Loving god, teach us to be content. When we want to chase more, remind us of what we already have. Help us to understand that your love is enough. Shape our hearts to be grateful and our minds to be at peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
