As for the rich… charge them not to… set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. – 1 Timothy 6:17
Paul speaks of two kinds of hope here. Some people set their hope on “the uncertainty of riches,” others “on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” These are very different kinds of hope.
When God gives you more, you need to develop a holy discontent with the things of this world. And the more God gives you, the more important this practice becomes.
Jeremiah Burroughs says, “One who is contented in a Christian way… is the most contented man in the world, and yet the most unsatisfied… Though he is contented with God in a little, yet those things that would content other men will not content him.”
This is the opposite of what you would expect. The world is discontent with less and says you will find contentment with more. God says learn to be content with less and to be discontent with more.
Paul says that people who are rich in good deeds, generous, and willing to share are “storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (6:18-19).
When you have less, cultivate the art of contentment. When you have more, cultivate the art of discontent. Set your heart on enjoying what God gives you and using what God gives you in the light of eternity.
Are you learning the art of contentment when you have less? Are you learning to have holy discontent when you have more?
