What SHould We Want?

The following video transcript has been lightly edited

   As we continue in our series entitled The Good Life, one of the things we have to wrestle with is what is worth wanting? What kind of circumstances should we desire? You know, all of us live in a world in which money has this sort of certain appeal, and we think that if our circumstances were right, then everything in life would be great.

The challenge with that is that all of us also know that we can have all of the right circumstances, but still not necessarily feel like we have a good life. And so today what I want to talk about is some advice that Paul gives to Timothy that is really targeted to those who are rich. And while you might not feel rich, my message for you today is that you are in fact, rich. All of us here in America for the most part are rich. We have lots and lots more than we could even imagine.

And so Paul's advice to us through Timothy really shows up in three ways. First, he says, you wanna focus in on developing contentment versus thinking about how if you could just get a little bit more, or if you had a little bit less, it's really just about what do you have and how can you be content with it.

Second, he says, beware, money is the root of many evils. Money is happy to be your master, and so that's always something that in the midst of our life, we have to caution against.

And then thirdly, if we wanna have the good life, we don't want to chase being rich. Rather, what we want to chase is being rich in good works. That that's the key. That's where we will find the good life.

So this first concept about being content, you know, I think we live in a world in which the idea that if we could get just a little bit more is always appealing to us. And whether we have a little or we have a lot, we tend to think if we just had a little bit more, if I could just get this next thing, then my life would be great. The challenge with that is that whatever material wealth we have, it does not protect us against grieving. It doesn't protect us against the loss of loved ones. It doesn't protect us against the loss of family and sickness. It doesn't protect us against the brokenness of the world. No matter your material situation, you cannot give yourself the level of safety and comfort that perhaps you sometimes think you desire.

And so what Paul says is he's learned how to be content. He's learned to be content when he has a little, and he's learned to be content when he has a lot. And so for us, if we wanna find the good life, we want to think less about, do I have the right material goods, do I have the right means? And more about how do I be content?

You know, I think there's three things that can really help us be content. We want to combat the lie with if I could just have a little bit more with the idea that we have more than enough. Rather than a little bit more, I have more than enough. And you and I can say that we can remind ourselves, you know what, I'm not gonna fall for that trap because I have more than enough.

Secondly, to build on this place of contentment, what we want to do is we want to be a people that have a sense of the good all around us. And what we wanna do is we want to be the kind of people that recognize that there's grace and goodness all around us. And lastly, we have enough so that we can give to others. And those three things combined will help us find contentment in our everyday life.

Second thing that Paul tells us is beware that money is the root of many evils and that. The pursuit of money. The love of money has caused many people to go down a path that they don't want to. This I think, is a real helpful reminder and challenge, not just to us as individuals, but to us as a culture of Americans.

We can see it. You take something like the medical system and you watch how money as it gets in there, becomes something that twists and mutates something that could even be good. Because anytime the goal is profit, then what gets leveraged is people, the environment, and even our individual selves. And so while medicine has produced incredible wonders and helps us have healthy lives and healthy human beings, it's also true that at times the pursuit of profit sneaks in. And there are surgeries that are scheduled because it's a great financial return opposed to perhaps the best thing for the patient.

On the other side, I've listened to doctors talk about the struggle it is to deal with insurance companies because they are in fact trying to do what's in the best interest of their patient, and those are often denied or pushed back. We have medicine that can do wonders, but we also have medicine that seeks to build a profit.

And at times those drugs get pushed on us or to us by all kinds of different vehicles because somehow that's going to make our life better. That's a promise of the good life. And so again, I think the important thing that Paul reminds us of is that money itself, the love of it, is something that we should be aware of, that it could lead to death and hurt and pain.

But instead what we want to do is we want to be the kind of people. That experience grace and goodness, and we wanna be aware that money wants to be our master. One of the things that I think helps us do that is through the spiritual practice of giving. And so my question to you is, how and who are you giving to?

Because when we choose to give what we're doing is we're basically saying, money, you aren't my master. I am your master, and I'm going to choose where it goes and I'm gonna choose to do good with it. It.

Final thing that Paul writes to Timothy is tell the rich to do good. To be rich, in good works, to be generous, to take care of others, to build a future.

And here what Paul is saying, he's fairly pragmatic. He's saying, Hey, I get it. There are people who are wealthy. You and I, we are wealthy people, but what we are to do is we're to take that and do good with it. And the church at its best throughout history has created all kinds of wonderful things.

Churches that love and care for people, hospitals that serve places for people to get education, ways to feed those who are hungry. These are all the kinds of good works, nevermind art and parks and all kinds of things that make for a better society. And of course, this is what the future is. Because God will one day restore all creation and the good things that are here for our enjoyment will no longer be in chains of profit and corruption and broken systems, but will be free to be enjoyed and celebrated because they reflect God's grace and goodness.

And so for you as a rich person, what you want to do is you want to focus on being rich in good works, not rich in money. And so what is it that you could do? What might you do to be rich in good works? And it doesn't always have to be complex. You can be rich in good works in your neighborhood. You can be rich in good works at your workplace.

You can be rich in good works here at the church. When we ask ourselves the question, how do I obtain the good life? Paul tells us, Timothy that command those who are rich, to be rich in good works, because then they will lay hold of life. That is really life. And that's what we're after, that life. That is really life.

That is the good life. And so let's go be those people together, people who strive for contentment, who are aware of the love of money and the dangers that go with it. And rather than being rich in material goods, we are rich in good works. I hope you have a great week, and I'll see you soon.