But Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain

Let me be honest. The idea of selling my house (we just moved in in July) and moving anywhere strikes fear in my soul. Fear and exhaustion. I am not sure that I have even unpacked all the boxes from the last move. I shutter at the thought of doing it all over again.

I think of the rich young ruler. I used to think so little of him. You know the story, a man runs up to Jesus and asks Him what he must do to inherit eternal life? Jesus answers him with a list of the commandments and the man replies that he has kept the commands since he was a boy. Mark 10:21 says that Jesus looked at him and LOVED him. Then He said "The one thing you lack, Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." It goes on to say that the man didn't do this because he had great wealth.

Now, I by no means have great wealth but I really understand what this means, to sell everything. I can't even think about selling my house to get something less expensive without much stress and apprehension. Yet, this man was asked to sell everything. And why? There is a verse that I missed until today. Before Jesus asked him to sell everything it says that Jesus looked at him and LOVED him. When we will see that it is Jesus' love for us that asks us to do certain things? His commands are for us is not against us. He knows what is best for us and commands us to do things that in the long run will be for our good. Think of the times that you have gone against what God has said. Didn't it seem so fun for a season? Are not our biggest regrets the times we disobeyed God and got ourselves in a mess. When will we learn?

Ok, I am got off subject. The verse I started out with reading this morning was 1 Timothy 6:6 that says "but godliness with contentment is great gain." It goes on to say "we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Two days ago I would not have said that I wanted to get rich or that I thought I struggled with the love of money. Contentment, yes, I can struggle with that but I felt I was pretty content. OF COURSE I WAS. I am sitting here in a house that is very nice, lots of food in the kitchen, and so many clothes that my closet is full and I have taken over part of Drew's closet and the hall closet.
I lack nothing.

Lord, free me from the love of my stuff. Free me from the love of my worldly possessions. Let me be open to go where you want me to go even if that is Peru, Mexico or the neighborhood down the street that "doesn't have the best schools." Train my heart to know that your commands for me are because you LOVE me. I give it all to you! Lord, we pray that our love will abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that we may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. (Phil. 1:9-10)