(6) Now godliness with contentment is great gain. (7) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (8) And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.(9) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Contentment is a inner sufficiency that keeps us at peace in spite of outward circumstances. Contentment is a matter of godliness in the heart, not wealth in the hand. Contentment grows from our attitude toward living God’s way. To have contentment in Christ requires four decisions about the events and possessions of our life:
1) We must focus on what God has already allowed us to have.
2) We must disregard what we do not have.
3) We must refuse to covet what others may have.
4) We must give thanks to God for each, and all of His gifts.
If we fail to make these decisions, our contentment will diminish.
The great wealth that motivated the false teachers (1 Timothy 6:3) was neither lasting nor capable of bringing contentment. Their earthly profits would be left behind. What brings great wealth has to do with eternal values. When material treasures become our focus, we quit contributing to our eternal accounts. Whatever gains we may experience in this life mean nothing if they cause us eternal bankruptcy (Matthew 6:19-24).
In 1 Timothy 6:7, Paul followed up his statement about the true source of contentment by discounting any hope of ultimate contentment based merely on this life. The correct perspective on material possessions: money, houses, clothing, vehicles, jewels, land, etc., remains eternally the same. They cannot last forever. We can lose, break, or ruin them in this life. We didn’t bring them with us when we were born, and we cannot carry anything with us when we die.
6:8: Human beings have basic needs. Believers and unbelievers alike require food and clothing (also implying shelter) for survival. The difference should be that when believers’ basic needs are met, they ought to be satisfied and content, requiring nothing more. In contrast, unbelievers are driven by society’s standards and desires; they cannot be content with only basic needs being met because they must always strive for more.
6:9: After stating the simple plan for living faithfully, Paul challenged the world’s view by showing the outcome of trying to gain contentment through the pursuit of wealth. The desire to be rich is, by its very nature, a desire that cannot be satiated. People who long to be rich cannot understand contentment because they can never have enough money. The temptation of money eventually traps people into doing anything to get money; illegal or immoral, even being willing to hurt others. People’s desire for money feeds their greed. Soon their passion plunges them into ruin and destruction.
6:10: People often misquote this verse, saying, “money is the root of all evil.” But it is the love of money that Paul speaks against. Money itself is not evil; in fact, money can do much good for the furthering of God’s Kingdom. Money supports missionaries around the globe; money helps organizations fight for Christian causes in government; money supports Churches and Church leaders; money helps feed the hungry and clothe the poor. Obviously, while God doesn’t need money, He can use money given by generous people to help those in need. These people can give because they control their money. The problem happens when money controls people.
People who love money are controlled by a ruthless, insatiable master, for the love of money can never be satisfied. Loving money is at the root of all kinds of evil: marriage problems, illegal acts, blowups in partnerships, envy, immorality, lying, ruthlessness, stealing, and a willingness to even hurt others if it makes money.
The worst scenario, of course, is that money would actually lead a person from the faith. It’s tragic when money replaces God in a person’s life. These greedy people found themselves pierced with many sorrows. The picture is that they were being impaled by sharp objects that they continued to push against. Instead of God’s way, they chose a path that was taking them deeper and deeper into a briar patch of trouble. Instead of the happiness they expected, money brought grief.
It would be a hazardous mistake to conclude that Paul is teaching that we should not be concerned about money. In fact, we should be respectfully asking God for funds with which to carry out our responsibilities and to help others. It is right to ask God for provision for daily life and to do his will (help children through college, pay off the church mortgage, etc.). Paul was concerned about greed more than he was about money.
In Philippians 4:4, Paul returned to writing to the church at large: Be full of joy; rejoice! It seems strange that a man in prison would be telling a church to keep on rejoicing. But Paul’s attitude teaches us an important lesson: Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Paul was full of joy because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him. While believers often will encounter situations in which they cannot be happy, they can always rejoice and delight in the Lord
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4:5: Joy isn’t always visible to others, but acts toward others are readily seen. So Paul encouraged the Philippians to let everyone see that they were considerate. They should have a spirit that is reasonable, fair-minded, and charitable. Believers are motivated to joy and consideration of others by remembering that their Lord is coming soon. The promise of the Lord’s second coming encourages careful conduct by His followers.
4:6: Attitudes of joy and gentleness, combined with constant awareness of Christ’s return, should dispel any worry. Believers should not set aside life’s responsibilities so as not to worry about them; Paul was focusing on believers’ attitudes in daily life and as they faced opposition and persecution. Christians are to be responsible for their needs and their families and to care about and be concerned for others, but they are not to worry (Matthew 6:25-34).
Worrying is bad because it is a subtle form of distrust in God. When believers worry, they are saying that they don’t trust that God will provide and they doubt that he cares or that he can handle their situation. Paul offered prayer as an antidote to worry. Instead, pray about everything. Prayer combats worry by allowing us catharsis. We can off-load our stress onto God. Paul said to take all the energy that is used in worrying and put it into prayer. This includes praying about everything. No request is too small, difficult, or inconsequential to God. Paul encouraged the believers to pray about what they need and then to thank God for all he has done. It may seem impossible not to worry about anything, but Paul explained that this can happen if believers truly give their worries to God. Worry and prayer cannot coexist.
4:7: If the Philippians would take to heart Paul’s words in 4:4-6, then they will turn from anxiety to prayer and be filled with God’s peace. This peace is different from the world’s peace. It is peace that Jesus promised His disciples and all those who would follow Him (John 14:27). True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings; it comes from knowing that God is in control. Believers are given peace with God when they believe (Romans 5:1), and they have the inner quiet of the peace of God as they daily walk with Him. God’s peace is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.
Such peace cannot be self-generated; it comes from God alone; it is his gift to us in a difficult world. As with so much of God’s dealings with humanity, we cannot understand it, but we can accept and experience God’s peace because of his great love for us.Why does God give His people peace? Because it will guard their hearts and minds. The Greek word for “guard” is a military term that means to surround and protect a garrison or city. The Philippians, living in a garrison town, were familiar with the Roman guards who maintained watch, guarding the city from any outside attack. God’s peace is like soldiers surrounding believers’ hearts and minds (that is, emotions and thoughts), securing them against threatening, and harmful outside forces.
4:8: If one is to have this inner peace from God and maintain a life free of worry, then certain steps must be taken, notably in his or her thoughts. This list describes what should pervade believers’ minds. Believers should fix their thoughts on things that are:
a) True: Truth includes facts and statements that are in accordance with reality (not lies, rumors, or embellishments), sincere (not deceitful or with evil motives), and loyal, faithful, proper, reliable, and genuine. Truth is a characteristic of God.
b) Honorable: These matters are worthy of respect, dignified, and exalted in character or excellence.
c) Right: Thoughts and plans that meet God’s standards of rightness. They are in keeping with the truth; they are righteous.
d) Pure: Free from contamination or blemish; unmixed and unmodified; wholesome. Paul probably was speaking of moral purity, often very difficult to maintain in thoughts.
e) Lovely: Thoughts of great moral and spiritual beauty, not of evil.
f) Admirable: Things that speak well of the thinker—thoughts that recommend, give confidence in, afford approval or praise, reveal positive and constructive thinking. A believer’s thoughts, if heard by others, should be admirable, not embarrassing.
g) Excellent: Moral excellence; nothing of substandard quality.
h) Worthy of praise: This phrase may be restated as anything that deserves the thinker’s praise or anything that God deems praiseworthy.
4:9: Paul had lived out and was continuing to live out his words, so he could urge the believers to put into practice what they had learned from him (from his teaching and training). The Scriptures were not compiled into a Bible until later, so the standards of belief and behavior were embodied in the teachings and example of those in authority. Paul could speak confidently; people could follow his example because he was following Christ’s example (1 Corinthians 11:1). If the believers would keep on practicing the virtues that Paul cited above, they would experience the God of peace. God is the source of peace for all believers.
