Monday February 6, 2017 I Timothy 6:6-8 But Godliness with contentment is great great gain. for we brought nothing into this world and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

Nick-

There seems to be no clear answer to what Godliness is. Having the wisdom of who God is and what he has done through Christ seems to be a solid definition. I Timothy 3:16 says great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of Godliness; ”He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” Chapter 4:7-8 says, Have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths. Rather train yourselves for Godliness, for while bodily training is of some value, Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Again it seems as though the knowledge and theology of Jesus Christ seems to be my best assumption of what Godliness is. The NLT version places the word “spiritual” in place of Godliness. Since God is spirit, it only makes since there is some spiritual application that goes along with the knowledge. In I timothy 6:1-6 it talks about one being puffed up with conceit and understanding nothing. I was that one who thought Godliness was a means of gain and I became spiritually prideful. The Lord blessed me with gifts, but I became prideful with those and became nothing more than a “noisy gong.” There was no love with the gifts, so God humbled me. He showed me the things he blesses me with are nothing more than gifts and that I should be thankful for them. There is no greater thing to obtain in this world than the spiritual life and our redeemed relationship with our God. In that, I need to be content because he promise to care of me. I Have to be careful though not to let my contentment with the physical creep into to spiritual.

Julie-

        I will be the first one to raise my hand and say that God is stripping me of what I thought I found my contentment in every day because most of it is just things of this world. Those things are idols, and some idols I actually believe, at times, I own.  I guess I think I will leave the world with them.  I idolize my marriage and have to lay it down daily.  Sometimes I believe it's mine to continue fixing.  I also idolize Trent.  Sometimes I believe that he is here by my effort and not a gift from God, but he is not mine and I will not leave the world with him.  I literally watched a man leave this world three months ago who had a wife and children, but when he died his hands were empty.  His wife did not go with him and his children are still here.  It's because we were not his.  I read Tozer's The Pursuit of God and my favorite chapter is The Blessedness of Having Nothing.  In reading it, I am able to put into thought what the Word is telling us.  Watching my dad leave this world with nothing shows me the application.  In contrast to leaving with nothing, he spent his whole life providing, investing, saving and buying.  I'm thankful to have such a real situation in my life to help keep me from contentment of things in the world.  I can hold on the the things of the world with loose hands and grip God.  Because really nothing of the world offers contentment, just temporary security.  Once I expierenced God, nothing has been able to satisfy that wholeness besides him. No relationship, no amount of money, no alcohol.  The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.  He is my manna and quail from heaven.  He is my water from rock.  And as undeserving as I am to recieve any of that, he gives it to me because he loves me, which is all that I really want. Love.  And God is love.  And if I have God's love and am content with that, then take the world because I've already gained eternal life.