Inductive Bible Study January 8

IBS Monday January 8

1Timothy 6:6-8

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

This is a tough truth. It’s astonishing how much time people spend in discontent. I’m a prime example of this.

I have this constant worry for the future. It mostly stems from an unhappiness with my material possessions. A couple years ago my family was forced to move out of our house. We had a 5 acre property with a large main house and a smaller house for my grandparents. We had everything on our property: a pool, a motocross track, a creek, a steep sledding hill for the winter, and the freedom and means to do what we wanted to do. When it was all taken away from me, I became extremely discontent. My friends all seemed to be moving up while my family was moving down. One of my best friends had moved into a mansion while I was moving into a house a third of the size. I used to complain about this all the time until I came across this verse a while back. My friends began to correct me about this telling me all the things I should be happy about. In reality I really did have a ton of stuff. My new house was smaller than my friend’s, but it was still a much better house than most.

Looking back, I had so much to be thankful for. I realized that it really doesn’t matter what you have on the outside. It matters what you have on the inside. Now, I still have a goal to live in a mansion someday, but it’s something I don’t hold on to in discontentment. I know that I cannot take that to Heaven. The things are Heaven are not from this world or from me; they are from God. God even promises us some of these things if we believe in Jesus. John 14:2 says “in My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” If we spend our lives in discontentment, going after the things which are ending, we miss the point. Matthew 6:19-21 tells us not to lay up treasures on Earth, which are perishing, but to lay up treasures in Heaven, where nothing can be taken away and is eternal.

In my own life, I can begin living out this verse. Instead of trying to gain something that I can’t keep, I want to spend my life gaining something that can’t be take away from me.

Application: Today I am going to thank God for all the things I have and ask Him to make my heart more godly and content that I will let go of the treasure I have on this earth and focus on what is to come after this life.