“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” I Timothy 6:6 . Lesson by Gary Shotton #000431

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Contentment

By Gary Shotton

          Hello, My name is Gary Shotton, and I’m here as a part of inspiring better business, and today I’m talking about this subject content. And this is a subject that can go really on two major directions, I call it, two ditches on the road you know if you’re driving down the road there could be a ditch that falls off water that ditch that’s on the left, and there’s a ditch potentially on the right and the idea is you kind of crown, the road so that it stays dry. Well if you’re driving down the road and you fall off in the ditch you’re probably going to have to get it towed out or run your car  so let’s stay out of the ditch. And on the subject of contentment. I see two major opportunities to get into the ditch. Now, the first that I’d like to refer to is First Timothy six, and it says this, Godliness with contentment is great gain. And if you know a little about the New Testament Paul is the major author of the books of the New Testament, and most of his writings were letters he wrote to individuals or to churches.

And in this case, Timothy was one of those individuals and he wrote a letter, the first of two letters and that we would write normally emphasize something of stronger importance toward the end of the letter. And so this thing towards the end of the letter I think God. Paul is making a good point to this pers Timothy. And then, thus to all of us as Christians that we should take godliness with contentment is great gain. Now, I attend a church and my pastor is a senior pastor a wonderful young man, that’s doing a great job, and I’m gaining some of my message today from his message to us, just a few minutes ago, where he talked about the two primary characteristics of all humans, and he discussed those to be security and satisfaction and think about it. These are fairly root desires or desires of all of us in our life. You see, we all have desires that come and go, we have a desire for maybe a new dress or some new shoes, or we have a desire for a new car, or a new house, we have a desire, but the part of that comes from these two characteristics, security, and satisfaction. and on the security side, there’s the ditch, that, you know, we want to get out of on the left. it’s not that you grow into this ditch but there’s quite a few people in the listening audience that security is  a real issue just basic security that you’re protected. I was talking to my friend in that has relationships in Republic of Congo, and they’re having terrorists come with machetes and reaching into the Christians, I mean I’m talking about security or lack of security that I have never ever even thought of in my life and they’re living it on a day to day basis. And so I want us all to recognize that these people and pray for them that are facing this basic security is  a big issue. And I can’t solve the problem of 1000s of miles away, but I can pray that that security is something that can find in the Lord. they don’t have to do what it takes to be wise in their actions and protect themselves but I don’t I can’t even imagine that my last source of protection is just myself and God because I can call the police here, I can call somebody to come help me and they’ll come. So, Godliness with contentment is great gain in the area of security. If you can live in a secure society, you can be content that’s the subject matter contentment. And that person must trust the Lord for their security. Now on the other side, our people, maybe in my country or are in a more developed nations where they can’t put their trust for security contentment for security, even though it’s a quite secure society. They’re always concerned they have four or five padlocks on their door. They have security systems that that report to the police immediately they have pepper spray their purse. They’re living a life that they have, in my opinion, maybe not put their security in God. Their contentment in God, in the area of security. Now I’m not ridiculing these people but no matter what I do, I could. My friends carry guns I don’t have to carry a gun unauthorized carrying of a gun, because I personally, I’m not good enough with a gun. They might take it away from me and use it on me. But if I’m at that point, I’m drawing the line and said, You know, I’m going to live his contentment and not have a gun in my holster at all times, because I put my contentment. Within God in the area of security. And I’m going to do good things to secure my home, secure my life, but at that point I’ve done what I logically could do and I’m putting my contentment for security in my Almighty God, I live in peace, I go to sleep at night, we don’t have a gun in our house, not because it’s wrong, because I don’t see that that’s going to be the ultimate factor.

Let’s move to point number two on the human race satisfaction. Well I believe godliness contentment with contentment is great gain in the area of being satisfied. I believe for those people that lack meals and lack food and lack clothes. I think it’s right for you to move to a point of contentment, using the word of God using your, your abilities in business learning from the lessons we’re presenting that you have what we call a good lifestyle at the first level. That’s good, that’s what you want you can be content that there’s food coming the next day you’re not worrying about every day How am I going to getting food. I know that’s true. A lot of people and I’m pulling with you. I have a simple thing that some people are operating in faith and they, they are believing God for gasoline in their car, and they wait until they’re almost empty almost and then they have a must enough money. I can put gasoline in my car, and I can be content, our content and satisfied because I am satisfied there. And so there’s the side of the road that that’s such like that is difficult, but there’s another side of that I have friends and acquaintances that are never content. They have so much money in the bank. They have no idea what to do with it. It is a problem. You can you imagine how it’s so much money it’s a problem, but they’re in the game. They’re never satisfied. They’re always pushing harder, not just working harder, but they have to win. They have to make sure they got the best deal and took advantage of the other person when possible, and bargaining hard is fine. you know if you buy a phone or a car at an auction and you are the highest bidder. That’s, that’s the deal. I mean, there’s no pressure there. But if I’m in a mindset that I have to make another deal. I’m going to do this at the expense of my workers, I have to have more I have to have more, the game is played in business sometimes that it isn’t that we made more money, but I can brag about how big my bank account or this deal that I got, but somebody else lost in that deal. It wasn’t win. It was a win, lose that person wins and the other person lost. I’m fairly generous with tips I respect a waitress that takes care of me. And I know that in reality they remember who I work plus I go to several restaurants and they call me by name, and not that I’m tip that good, but I believe I’m content. I’m satisfied and I’m not holding on to, so much of my money that it’s obsessing me. So godliness with contentment is great game. I’m not bragging but I’m telling you, I have an am content. I am so excited, of where I am at in my life and I’m so excited that I’m a part of this sharing. Because I for more than 45 years as honored God in my life, and I live in a life that’s content. Gary Shotton is living a life that says, Godliness with contentment is now and will forever will be great game for me and for you. Thanks for being a part of Inspiring Better Business. Thank you for listening.