Content?

“A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.” [1 Timothy 6:6-8; The Message]

Are you content with what you have? “A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God,” and I would add others. When we strive to acquire worldly wealth, we miss the meaning of this message. Paul even cautions that with worldly wealth we can fall into temptations that plunge us into ruin and destruction. The passage goes on to say that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Notice that money in and of itself is not evil. It’s the love of money that leads to ruin. The striving for more and more, as if one could never have enough. What is enough? Have you ever struggled with this question. This is a personal as well as a communal question. Can we learn to redefine what wealth means, as Paul is attempting to do with Timothy? Are we rich in friendships? Are we generous in giving our time to others? How might we learn the rich simplicity of just being ourselves before God and others?

Prayer

Gracious God, I know it is hard for me to just be myself before you and certainly before others. I fear that I will not be enough and that I need to do more or have more to be accepted. Help me to know that I am enough and that I can simply be who you created me to be. Amen.