Distinctive #9: Gospel Lifestyle

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:6

The ninth distinguishing mark of a gospel-centred church is gospel lifestyle.

Paul speaks to “the rich” (6:17) and to “those who desire to be rich” (6:9). So there’s something for those who have less and something for those who have more here.

Paul says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (6:6). Contentment is finding joy in what God has given to you. The opposite of contentment is greed. Luther makes the point that greed destroys your capacity to enjoy what God has given.

Contentment grows over time. It does not come quickly, easily, or naturally. Paul says, “I have learnt… to be content” (Phil. 4:11). How did he learn it? He tells us: “I have learnt the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (4:12).

He is saying, “There were times when I had plenty. But then God brought me to situations where I was in need. And through that, I learnt something: I discovered the secret of being content.” God used the experience of loss to produce the good fruit of contentment in Paul’s life.

Jeremiah Burroughs described contentment as “a rare jewel.” How can you find joy in what God gives you, especially when that is less than you had before?

Burroughs says, “A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition as by way of subtraction.” Contentment does not come by adding to what you have, but by subtracting from what you desire.

The world says that you will find contentment when your possessions rise to meet the level of your desires. Burroughs says, “The Christian has another way to contentment, that is, he can bring his desires down to his possessions.”

Have you discovered the secret of being content?