Godliness and Contentment (1 Tim. 6: 6-19)

Trinity 17 (26^th September 2010)

Text: 1 Tim. 6: 6-19

I have chosen “Godliness and Contentment” as our theme for today because these are two very important things that we Christians should understand.   We live in a world that is constantly bombarding us with the message that life is all about getting married, having kids, and try to accumulate as much wealth as possible.  It may sound crude, but we can’t deny that we are living in a capitalist society which in many respects is built on the idea of greed.   It teaches us that this life is about you and your happiness and that comes from getting more of everything that we can lay our hands on.

If that teaching is true, then we, who are living in the present age, should be happier than our grand-fathers and grandmothers during their days.  There were no supermarkets or department stores stocked with luxurious goods, no TV or computers or mobile phones, and none of the conveniences we are enjoying now.  But if we are to make a survey we shall find many people who are discontent in their lives.  We are discontent not because we don’t have things, but because we see so many things are there which we don’t have yet.  There are “For Sale” signs in front of homes or stuck on windscreens of cars that we can’t quite afford.
 When you visit other people’s home, you will always find that they have nicer furniture or better sound systems than you have at home.  Everyday we see someone wearing the latest designer fashions.  Wherever we are, there is something that brings on the feelings of discontent for us.  

Bob Dylan once said that everybody worships something.  He was right.  Jesus said it in Matthew 6: 21, “For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”  In other words, when we put our whole focus on something, we can be considered as “worshipping it”, and that thing is our god.   If we put our focus on money, then money becomes our god. If we are focus on power, then power is our god.  Many times, our commitment to our gods lead to the drive for more. The more we have, the more we want, and when that doesn’t bring happiness we look for more of something else.  

Many years ago a study was conducted among some of the wealthiest men in the world.  Most of them admitted that they were unsatisfied and unhappy. When they were asked what they needed for happiness the answer was always the same: just a little bit more.   And last night I read a blog written by a University of Chicago law professor who talked about his financial woes in a post in Google. This professor Mr. Henderson and his wife, an oncologist, make more than $250,000 a year, and apparently they are struggling to get by.  If President Barack Obama gets his way, and tax rates rise for those earning more than $250,000 a year, Mr. Henderson says it will mean real sacrifice in his family.  Just how much is enough?  Paul knew it all along that if we are to follow our heart’s desires, no amount is enough.  And that was why he said in 1 Timothy 6:10, that the pursuit of things at all costs, causes much griefs. 

But why do people, including Christians, have this unhealthy drive for more?  One reason is advertising. We are constantly bombarded with ads which are aimed at getting us to buy more stuff.  In fact, our entire economy is built on us spending more on more stuff we don’t need.  You turn on the TV and there are commercials. You log on to the Internet and every page has some advertisements.  When you drive down the highway, you see huge billboards at the roadsides.   Everyday, we are exposed to advertisements that claim to give us happiness and an easier life.  When I think about it, I wonder if a 30-minute sermon can be of any use to challenge what the world is telling us everyday.

Second is the promotion and availability of instant credit. There used to be a time that people would have to save certain amount of money each week or each month until they had all the money to pay for the thing they wanted to buy.  Now the offer has become instant credit, either with little deposits or no down payments at all.  You can take whatever you want now – whether you need it or not; and pay later – whether you can afford it or not.  It is about supersizing everything: our possessions, our homes and our debts as well.  So in the end, it seems that we consume as much as it consumes us.

Third, we can fall into the trap of thinking and believing that this life is about us. If you study the advertisements, you will find that they are all about our happiness and our needs being met, not about other people.

Fourth, we are also easily discontented because our self esteem is so closely tied to the accumulation of possessions.  We tend to determine a person’s worth by what he owns. If someone says, “How much is he worth?” we immediately reduce the answer to how much he earns or what he possesses.  When we look at peoples’ houses we come to a conclusion that those who live in bigger houses must be happier than those who live in small ones.  For some reasons we equate people’s happiness with the things they have.  Thus, it is not surprising that we feel that we are less of a person if we don’t accumulate lots of things during our lifetime.  

But the truth is whatever it is that we acquire or buy – it won’t take long before we start losing interest in it.   It is like a child with his new Christmas toy – he opens the present with excitement, but after a week or so his interest in the toy is gone.  Whatever it is we crave whether they are shoes or clothes, or a new car, a larger home, a bigger salary, or whatever – they will not meet the need of the very depths of our souls.  So we always need to look for something new to keep us happy and contented, and that is how people get caught in the cycle of greed and accumulation of things in their pursuit of happiness. 

So how do we deal with this problem?  How do we live godly life and find contentment?  How can we live in this world without being greedy?  First and foremost, we need to remember that our lives are not about us or our possessions.  We have to learn over and over again that life is not about me:  it is about others.  It is about ministering to others, serving others and helping others.  I may be preaching this to you, but I can tell you that I struggle with the same problem.  Even Jesus himself is not exempted from the temptation.  You read Matthew 4: 8-10 about the devil who took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him’”.   When Jesus is faced with the temptations to put himself first, he overcame it by choosing to love the Lord God even more.

Second, cultivate an attitude of gratitude.  We often feel discontented because we feel deprived of something.  To overcome that we need to develop an attitude of thankfulness for what God has given us.  But we also need to cherish our relationship with Jesus even more.  When we understand what we deserve and compare it with what we have received in Jesus Christ, we can truly be content!  Paul looked to the Lord in every circumstance to help him to be content. He looked to the Lord to strengthen him against the temptation to be self-sufficient and complacent when times were good. He looked to the Lord for strength when times were rough and whenever he started to feel sorry for himself. Through it all and every circumstance, he found the Lord’s strength was sufficient.  To be content is to be at peace with where we are and who we are in Christ.

Third, don’t to compare yourself with others.  When we start to compare what we have against what others have, we tend to pick out someone who has more than us.  If we always compare ourselves with those who have more than us, we shall always feel sorry for ourselves.  So don’t think about people who are richer than us: think about thousands of other people who have less than we do.  We need to stop the comparison game because we can always find someone who has more than us.

Fourth, give to those in need. James 1:27 tell us we are to look for those around us who are in need and be alert in how we can minister to them.  Paul said in verse 18, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share”.  We should realize that it is more rewarding to give than receive, to serve rather than be served, to give away rather than save.

We clergy do not receive that much, but we are provided with basic salary, a house to stay in, car for our use, and other necessities.  It is easy to envious with those who have more.  It is less of a problem for priests in Brunei because we are receiving a bit more than our counterparts in Sarawak because of the difference in the exchange rate.  And some people occasionally give me some money out of their love.  I don’t want to be spoiled by the allowance and the gifts I receive, because it can get me into financial indiscipline when I am transferred back to Sarawak.  One thing that I do to keep myself in balance is to share some of my money with people I know to be in need – family members or friends or fellow clergy, or even those I barely know. 

I don’t know how you deal with your problem, but I know one effective way of dealing with greed and keeping ourselves content is to share with those less fortunate than ourselves. Once you start to focus on the needs of someone else, you keep your life in balance and that preserves you from falling into the trap of discontentment.

Fifth, learn to share the joys of others.  I know it is easier to sympathize with those who are less fortunate than us people who are poor or victims of some disasters.  But It is harder to be grateful for the blessings our friends and neighbours received, especially when we don’t get any.  If your son fails his exam but your neighbour’s son got an A grade, it is hard to share their joy. But sharing the joys of others is something we have got to learn if we want to have contented life, and be protected from jealousy and envy.  

Finally, and the most important of all – we need to be focused on God.  We must keep our priorities straight.  In our last Sunday’s sermon we are reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 16: 13: “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Our wealth is something that God has entrusted upon us to look after.  We are not to worship it or place it above our God.