Contentment VS. Progression

Contentment is a key point for Paul the "love of money....root of evil" discourse in 1 Tim 6:10 (see last post).

Paul also says, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Phil 4:11-12)

But if you are 'content', is it wrong to desire to progress? Are Contentment and Progression at odds with each other? A lot of today's youth groups and churches would lead Christians to believe so. But contentment is not an excuse to be lazy. Nor an excuse to be ignorant of money.

Contentment is the antonym of greed, the intense selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed. Contentment prevents one from avariciously coveting another's possessions. Jesus says to "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12)

When we spend our money, its directly influenced by our personal level of contentment. Advertisers prey on our feeling of discontentment, that tells us that we need something to be happy. There's that cliche quote that says something like this: “Millions of Americans are buying things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, to impress people they don’t like!”

Being rich is a not sin, but the lust for being rich (greed, coveting, dissatisfaction) is the point at which sin enters in (1 Tim). Contentment is the single most important disposition for the proper use of money.

So what then what motivates you to Progress? And should you even strive to excel and progress? Of course! Competition and a pursuit of excellence is an integral part of the Bible. Here's just a few examples.

*I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14)

*"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Col 3:23)

*"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1Cor 10:31)

* Peter talks about possessing good qualities in "increasing measure" so you are not ineffective and unproductive. (2 Pr 1:5-11)

*Jesus says "be perfect." - That will take some striving!

These verses are not just talking about some little piece of you that you can label "spiritual," yet forget the rest. They are talking about ALL of you and whatever you do. Try your hardest, not to accumulate things and satisfy your greed, but because it gives God glory. If you are working or making money "in His Name", you better do your best because you are representing Jesus.

*"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col 3:17)

In many circumstances in America you be rewarded for progressing and the pursuit excellence. If you try your best - at whatever it is - money and blessings often follow. Of course this is not always the case; there are always factors that are out of one's control. But, this is where one's level of contentment is directly tested. Paul was tested repeatedly, and he concluded that he was "content whatever the circumstances" whether in need or in plenty.

In the context of wealth, Contentment with Progression leads to the WISE making and spending of money.

Read the next post: Love of Money...Root of All Evil? Part 2

Sculptures: Rodin's Thinking Man is contemplating his level of contentment above.
During the Golden Age of Greek art, Discobolus pursues the excellence that led to the Olympics.

Love of Money....Root of All Evil? (Part 1)

How many people have heard someone say "Money is the root of all evil?" Its one of those phrases that permeates society; whether mentioned in church, on CNN, in Newsweek, YouTube, or in some modern rock song. Everyone's heard it, but few people even know where it came from or what it really means.

Well, it came from the Bible:
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10 - NIV)

Reading the actual verse lets us note the obvious. The text says that "love of money" and not "money" is a root of all kinds of evil. In and of itself, money is a spiritually neutral item. Since its only a medium of exchange, it can be used for either evil or good. While 'money' often gets the bad rap, this verse is really talking about one's 'heart' toward the money.

Also, i think its safe to say the money is not truly "the ROOT of ALL evil." It was not this root that led to the original transgression of Adam and Eve. However, it is the root of the evil that Paul is discussing in this chapter in 1 Timothy. In the sentences preceding 1Tim 6:10, Paul enumerates this exact 'evil'. Paul describes the corruption of people in verse 4 and 5. Some symptoms:

* conceit
* understanding nothing
* an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words
* envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

Maybe like Tolkien's Ring of Power, money is very hard to wield without corruption. The desire for it can turn even great intentions into evil. Paul, writing to Timothy, issues warnings about this evil. The rest of the verse 6:10 says: "Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Regardless of one's amount of wealth, Paul describes the opposite of this "evil." Contentment.

Verses 6-8 say "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." Paul has a similar theme in Philippians (4:11-12), and emphasizes the importance of "being content in any and every situation."

Instead of condemning the rich for possessing the root of all evil, Paul tells Timothy to give them this admonishment: "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Tim 6:17-19) Its not the wealth - but the attitude thats the issue. Hope and contentment must be based in God, not the riches.

This initial look at 1 Timothy 6 will be expanded upon in the next posting. To gain more insight, we'll take a much closer look at the context of these verses and who/what Paul is actually responding to. See Part 2 HERE!

What (or Who) is Mammon?

Before we get all into the nitty-gritty of money theology, lets have a little fun.

What is Mammon? I imagine something like this picture on the left. This man hasn't been storing up his treasure in heaven.

Originally, the word Mammon came from the ancient Chaldeans (remember Ur of the Chaldees where Abraham came from) and actually has its roots in the word 'confidence.' Interesting.

At its most basic level, the word meant 'riches' or 'wealth,' but it connoted an idea of personified wealth gained with avarice. It often took on a deified nature.

During New Testament times, the word "Mammon" continued to have this personified understanding of worldly and material wealth, with a focus on the evil influence that money could have. Much more on this later.....

In the Middle Ages, Mammon gained the full-on Demon status. Many local bishops and feudal lords benefited from the fear and trembling that peasants felt about gaining worldly wealth.

After the Enlightenment, Mammon was still a concern. English oil painter George Frederick Watts interpreted Mammon in this grotesque and miserable way (see the picture of the oil painting on the left above.)

In 1800's France, Collin de Plancy's Dictionnaire Infernal depicted all of the demons that afflict the world. Mammon appears this way (see drawing on the right):
Rather wimpy looking.

If you think that Mammon is now only mentioned in church theology discussions, the exact opposite is true.

Mammon is very much alive in the Dungeons and Dragons game. Mammon has become the "arch-devil" that rules over one of the nine layers of Hell in this kid's game. Wikipedia says: "In keeping with the traditional use of the name in literature, he is portrayed as a personification of greed and lust. He also has a well-earned reputation for duplicity."
Not so wimpy looking.

Welcome to God & Mammon

Some people read the Bible and transform into lonely monks hiding from all the dangerous earthly riches out in some dark cave in eastern Turkey. In other parts of the world, like Oklahoma, some hyper-emotional preachers use Jesus' words to propagate the 'gospel of prosperity', creating an eager audience who pay for every book, tape, sermon, and smile along the way.

Everybody seems to have a strong opinion about money. But, what does the Bible say? In church we hear a lot of these types of verses: "The love of money is the root of all evil," "You cant serve 2 masters, either God or Mammon," "build up treasures in heaven." But what's the rest of the story? Didnt Jesus praise the sneaky and dishonest money manager? And after increasing his money tenfold, Jesus extolled a 'faithful' servant, while treating the one who hid his money 'harshly'.

Since I dont believe Jesus was a schizophrenic, I conclude that there's some conflict in the interpretation of wealth-related issues in the Bible. This blog will attempt to strip away some of this confusion, while searching for the Biblical truth about money. We'll look at various theologians' opinions, but focus on the historical, literary, and cultural context that the Biblical text was written in. If you have any thoughts, insights, criticizisms, jokes; please share your comments!

By the way, at top is a Renaissance oil painting of Jerome, one of the most famous desert monks, by Bassano in Venice. While Jerome was hiding from Mammon, he translated the Bible into Latin Vulgate, which has been used in some form by the Catholic Church until recently. Of course the next picture is that hyper-emotional prosperity preacher man!