Something Greater

A Devout Life: Part 3 That Which Threatens We entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless... (1 Timothy 6:7-8 MSG) What are the negative forces that threaten our contentment and satisfaction in life? Paul focuses on money, or the lack of money: PENNILESS: oudeis "oo-DICE" (not even one, none, nobody, nothing); from oude (no however, neither, nor, not even) and heis (one); from ou (no or not) and de (but, and) Paul is speaking to people who fear being penniless, or being without any source of gaining wealth in the form of money, valuable property, influence or security. For these people, money is the only sure way to guarantee such poverty. Money is only a measure of one's wealth. Money is a way to quantify the value of our time, strength, influence and property. Paul reminds us that we are born with nothing of our own making. At the moment of birth our time, strength, influence and property has little physical, measureable value. Any personal...

A Devout Life: Part 2 Wealth of Devotion 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 MSG) Paul describes "wealth" as something other than money, property or power over others. For Paul, a devout life is the "rich simplicity of being yourself before God". The English Standard Version translates this verse a bit differently: "Godliness with contentment is great gain." CONTENTMENT: autarkeia "ow-TAR-ki-ah (self-satisfaction, contentedness or competence); from autarkes (self-complacent or contented); from autos (self, through the idea of a baffling or backward wind) and arkeo (to ward off, to avail, or to be satisfactory, through the idea of raising a barrier) This "simplicity of being yourself before God", or "godly cont...