Gain is not Godliness (1 Timothy 6:3-21)

I have stewed over this post for long enough. Why has it been so very difficult? I think its because we all want gain, and we all want godliness. I didn't like being told about or (writing about) gain and godliness. We all want them (even if we don't acknowledge it) to be one and the same. 

After all, isn't that how our community and our society operates. Those who are rich are looked up to. Those who have made it and have found some measure of fame are to be looked up to. We examine what, how, why, and even where they did what they did to make it. We examine what they loved, desired, and who they became as society shaped them. But does this make them godly? 

It is easier to look outside of ourselves for things or people to worship than it is to look inwardly. For to look inward requires honesty. So in thinking about this post, I had to ask myself, What do I worship? Godliness or fame, service or riches, wholesome words or disputation? 

While in New York this past weekend we toured the King Tut exhibit. King Tutankhamun as a boy of nine was revered as a part Egyptian god, a sort of meditator between the living and the gods. Discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter his tomb remains the most wealthy of tombs ever to be discovered. Many other Pharaohs had greater and more wealthy tombs but they were plundered by grave robbers.  Did he become a God because of his family birthplace, because of his wealth, or merely because of his culture. His example is one to be considered. Would you want him to be your god?  Because of his wealth? because of his experience? because of ? It is of note to mention that he died an early untimely death most likely brought on my trama to the brain.  

Weather he continues to live on after his death and find use of any of the hundreds of golden artifacts that decorated his tomb remains unanswered. What is certain is that he has gained eternal fame. Sadly it is not because of how he treated another, nor how he cared for the needs of his kingdom, but rather for all of the wealth that he acclaimed.  I noticed as I walked through the darkened exhibit that many of the artifacts shed light on Egyptian belief and culture, but rarely did they reflect who Tutankhamen was. Those who buried him truly believed he would buy his way into the afterlife. How does that idea help the servant whose job it was to dig his tomb? 

In my lifetime I have known many types of gain. I have known financial gain and we have been most blessed to never had need of want. I have known housing gain. We have lived in many different sized homes. I can tell you the larger ones took more effort than they were worth, and caused me to choose between helping others or maintaining my wealth. I have known educational gain that has brought me the discipline to discern between truth and folly. I have known the gain of friendship. And this has been my greatest treasure. 

For in learning the godliness that Paul tried to teach Timothy I have learned the value of a true relationship holds a far greater worth than any book, any inanimate item, any amount of wealth, any amount of shelter. Why? 

Because in friendships and relationships we have community. In community we have sharing. In sharing we have security, and in security we have peace of eternal treasures. I believe eternity is not a destination. It is not a place where we all gather to sit and play out our rewards. I believe eternity comes with every smile, every gift of the spirit, every kind word, every good deed, and every act that extends one's soul out to help another. Learning to serve through contentment brings great peace. And peace of the soul is the greatest wealth known to man. 

Words and Phrases 

vs 3 wholesome words - words that teach goodness, faith, and lead us toward godliness 

vs 4 proud knowing nothing - pride blinds us from truth. pride blinds us from seeing how the desire for wealth of money causes us to disregard our respect for life. 

vs 4 Pride = little knowledge, doting questions, strife, angry words, envy, railings, evil, and evil surmising

vs 5 Pride = disputations, corrupt minds, no truth, lies, teaches gain is unto godliness, 

vs 7 - nothing - we came with no possessions and we leave with no possessions. Our souls can only carry the experiences that our lives give them. If we waste our time on earth with vain idolatry, at the time of our passing, our souls will be left wanting what they cannot have. 

vs 6  the greatest gain - to be content... to seek after experiences that will garner godliness within us- this is the greatest gain 

vs 9 they that will be rich - if we love money more than family, more than relationships, more than community, then when we have to choose weather to help another or to have our wealth, we choose our wealth. This wealth brings with it: temptation, snares, foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction .. and leads them to perdition. 

vs 10 love of money - how do  you tell if you love money too much? Do you think more of your wealth and gain than you do of service to those in your community? Do you choose work over relationships? Do you carve time out for work socials but forget your relationships? Does your job dictate how you spend your time? 

vs 11 Oh man of God -  flee from these things and follow what is right, examples of godliness, faithful moments, tender love, patience and meekness. For if you understand eternity, then you have no need for earthly gain. Your wealth comes in those you love and in your ability to bring them peace through truth.  vs 12 the good fight

vs 17 them that are rich - so it is okay to have wealth.. just be sure to temper it with contentment. 

don't be high minded (why? Because high mindedness tends to forget what it is to be without, or in need) 

vs 17 uncertain riches - riches and wealth are dependent upon the mindset of the community within which we live. If we decide that our symbol of wealth would be tin instead of gold, then our entire society would shift in both mind and custom. Economics is an uncertain science because it relies on the fallibility and whims of man. It is a psychological study based on the emotional state of man. I would say that is fairly uncertain. 

vs 18 them that are rich - should do good, find wealth in good works, share their wealth with those in need, communicate so that those in need have the ability to access what they need. 

vs 19 a good foundation - is not found in the wealth of Egyptian gods, nor in the wealth of nations, it is rather found in service, communication, sharing, and giving aid to those in need so that as a community of believers we can find the peace that comes from within. 

  

all things are become slippery (Helaman 13: 31-39)

What do you hold precious?

What would change your world if "on the morrow it was gone?"

The house appeared dark as if no one was home. But we were home. We were living in the basement of our large brick Tudor while the kitchen was being remodeled. So when we arrived home that evening we all slid down the basement stairways to find food. The fall air had combined with the dusk to give us a chill. The aroma of the crock pot dinner danced around the table.

"What was that noise?" My oldest daughter asked as we gathered around for dinner.

"Probably just the wind blowing through the breezeway."

A loud bang caused me to follow the noise up and out of the basement to investigate. I swung open the screen door and saw him. A young teenage male scrambled onto my son's bike. He never looked back as he sped down the long driveway and up the street. I chased after him, but it was to no avail. My neighbor saw me chasing him and came out to help. She was able to help fill in details for the police report.

She had seen him perusing our street, walking very brazenly through the yards and taking great risks. The bikes were parked out of sight within the breezeway walk path, far from the obvious eye. I was amazed at his ability to steal the bike while we were less than ten feet away.

This was a difficult lesson on the reality of theft, and my lacrosse-son was devastated. Even though the bike was registered with the police and the police had a description of it, it was not to be found.

I wondered about the risks that people will take to take the things of others. I wondered about what they value most in life? The security that things bring or the security from living with trust and faith in others? I had to realize that "it" was just a bike. We were all safe and together. We were unharmed. This time the intruder had merely taken a set of wheels, but what if he had wanted more?

Helaman's verses seem so straightforward and maybe they are, but as I read them I was surprised to find a true significance to today's world. When we begin to value our riches more than we value our relationships with one another then we allow our riches to curse us.

We live in a world where not only the material possessions we own can become slippery and grow legs, but many of the other things that we call riches can easily slip away. I am speaking of our nation's dependency on electricity. Many of our riches are tied up in our dependency on electricity.

One hundred years ago our nation, our community, our families were not so dependent on electricity. Today the lives we live would be totally crippled without it. In terms of our "riches" today with a growing technological infrastructure "nearly 15 percent of all US commerce goes through PayPal." (www.wired.com) The business world already uses ebanking, ecommerceand Emoney to conduct transactions. Paper money is not needed. The community that relied on paper money, on relationships that secured the value of the paper money are becoming slippery and fading away.

Why? Because the allure of technology, the ease, the comfort found within our homes. The paperless trail sounds great. Easy. Effortless. Safe, Secure.

Think Again. What happens if the electricity goes out? What happens if a disaster occurs? The people of that endured the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will tell you it was not easy, safe, or secure for them. Without electricity, many of these people were "non-identifiable". Not only were they unable to prove their identity, but the possibility of their identity being stolen or used became a very real possibility. Their paper identity had been washed away. But so had their electronic identity. And sadly because we rely so much on electronic communication their sense of community that allowed them to link with others and find comfort and security in the human race had long ago slipped away.

Our nation has become dependent upon electrical power. We could not travel, do business, or conduct ourselves civilly without it. Think what would happen if all of the electricity in American went down? No money. no gas. no heat or air. no food. no identity. We are all totally dependent upon it. NO computer. no files. no bank transactions. No community.

Now think back to a simpler time when we didn't need electricity to get food. We needed only to have a community of friends and neighbors. We built relationships with our neighbors so that if an emergency occurred we would be able to rely on them. We entertained our friends. We played games together and laughed with one another. We built business relationships with the grocery-man, banker, the gas station attendant, and the pharmacist.

I remember when the the 1976 gas crises occurred and all the gas stations had to ration gas. My mother was able to sit in a long line and get gas for her car because she was a regular customer. The owner knew his customers and rewarded them for their patronage. There was a sense of community that allowed him to honor those who had respected his business.

Today's electronic advancement has eroded the sense of community that America once knew and loved. I dare say that many of today's generation would not know how to have a social life without "electricity" in their lives. We still come together for school, for work, for church, but all of these community lives have been infiltrated with electronics to the point that people would rather email you and see you face to face. Why? "It saves them time." Time for what?

Eternity is a long time to live with the love of riches in your heart.

Before you write this idea off, read through the verses with the mindset of what might happen to our society if our electrical infrastructure failed. How would you get your money from the bank? You wouldn't? How would having a good relationship with the teller "behind the glass" change things in a crises?

All things are given to us for our good. God loves us. He just wants us to love him (and his children) more than we love our "riches". Our materialist world has gotten out of control just as it did in Samuel the Lamanite's day.

Words and Phrases

31 they become slippery - In Samuel's time I am certain he was referring to robbery, theft, deceit. In our day, slippery could relate to computers, info file glitches, etc. Have you ever had a computer crash and take all of your information with it? Have you ever had a file on your computer go missing? Electronic riches will prove to be much more slippery than the mere stealing of our belongings.

31 ye cannot hold them - again.. he referred to a similar circumstances of having another take from you ...where we had a robber steal from us while we were very near, but electronic riches IPODs, cell phones, they obtain the data of our lives. It is the data that we cannot hold onto. It is somewhere within the virtual world. When we place more trust in the "arm of man" and do not revere the "love of God" we are at risk of not being able to hold onto the things that we prize as most dear.

31 in the days of your poverty - I believe he is referring to the poverty of our spirits. We cannot retain riches when we do not value the source from whence they come. (one another). When we value one another and God, we will always have sufficient for our need.

32. your desolation is already come upon you - when we are without one another, when we place riches before community, before God, before the love and service of our fellow man, the desolation is within our hearts. We cannot stop it unless we change our ways and learn to love others as God does.

33 Oh that we had remembered the Lord our God .. in the day he gave us our riches. Riches that are received as a blessing from God come as a blessing into our lives. Why? Because of how we receive them. Attitude is everything. How we use them to bless the lives of others is paramount to how they in turn bless our lives. When we use them for selfish endeavors we reap selfish rewards.

33. riches are gone from us.- When Job lost all of his wealth, family, and possessions, he was not forsaken. He had his love and faith of God. His possessions were gone, but his riches were in his heart. His riches were of a spiritual and eternal nature. They brought him through the difficulties in a a way that the love of material possessions can not. In terms of identity... if you consider the story of Job.. He lost everything he owned and yet he was able to recover? Why? Because his identity was not caught up in his possessions. His identity was wrapped around his love and respect for God.

34. on the morrow it is gone... material possession may disappear, but faith will be there on the morrow. God's love will be there. Intelligence will be there.

37 we are encircled about by the angels of him who sought to destroy our souls - riches when sought for and obtained for selfish reasons destroy the soul. Riches that are not used to give aid to the poor, the sick and the needy bring the curse of selfishness, loneliness, and greed. I think about all of the products on today's market that seek to "get gain" and in the process destroy our souls. They are many.

38 ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain - we live like a chain of caterpillars who march round in circles until they die. When we don't learn to love, when we don't learn to give unselfishly, when we don't learn to love others more than the cost of things, more than the riches we acquire, then we live in vain. We must love, give, serve, hope, and help one another.

38 ye have sought happiness in doing iniquity - the iniquity comes in not taking time to love others, but always seeking more riches, more time away from the community that would teach us the value of one anothers gifts. Possessions were not meant to be hoarded, but rather to aid and help one another on our journey of life.

Where is my Goodness? Ecclesiastes 6 P

Ecclesiastes 6

Where is my Goodness?

Is it in the common-hood of man?

Does it dwell in my treasures,

Or in the honor of my name?

Where is my goodness?

Does it lie hidden in my wealth?

Or in the family of my hundred children?

If I live one hundred years will

I find my goodness?

Where is my goodness?

Does it come with my birth?

Does it leave me at death?

How will my name be remembered?

Where is my goodness?

If I look to the Sun

Will it be there?

Will it bring me rest?

Where is my goodness?

If I live one thousand years

And find myself with you

at that one place

Will I have found goodness?

Where is my goodness?

If I work all my days to feed my mouth

How do I fill my appetite, for goodness?

Where is my goodness?

Am I a fool if I know it not?

Am I a poorer man for not knowing

the walk of the living?

Where is my goodness?

Will my eyes see all that I have

And be content?

What will my desire seek?

Will it wander?

Where is my goodness?

Has it been named?

Has it been in man?

Or does my goodness come

from him that is mightier?

Where is my goodness?

For am I not but a shadow

If I cannot know from

whence my goodness comes?

Am I not but a shadow

If I cannot discern

goodness from vanity?

Where is my goodness?

With all my wealth?

With all my honor, and riches?

How will I give goodness

To whom shall be after me

If I have not goodness

Under the sun?

Goodness come from God. When I watch and play with my littlest grandchild I know that goodness comes from God. We are born with it. We choose our lives and weather or not we will die with it. Solomon saw that many of us are never content with the goodness in our lives. We always want more. We call it different things: ambition, drive, success, career, hobby etc. but the truth is we are merely feeding our vanity. We often have enough to live one day at a time. We have enough to share, but it is because of so many other "obscure things in our lives" that we forget to be content. We let our desires wander.

Words and Phrases

vs 1 - common among man - I believe discontent is very common among men. Once we have what we want we always want something more. Toys rarely last very long before we seek a newer model, a newer twist on an old need.

vs. 2 - all that he desireth - Solomon knew that the key to what we have in our lives is what we desire. Those who desire wealth usually find it. In this verse he wants us to understand that God will give us what we desire. Be careful for what you pray for because you might just get it. Then once you have it, you can not enjoy it "not power to eat". And then to make it all the more frustrating, we watch another enjoy what we have but cannot enjoy because they have desires that are appropriate. We can be wealthy and miserable or wealthy and full of joy.. It depends on what our ultimate desires in life are focused on.

vs 3 soul be not filled with good - We can have a long life, a large family, and wealth and if we don't know what good is, it will mean little to our name, our family, or our long life.

vs 5 he hath not seen the sun - He does not know the power, the warmth, the glory that the sun can bring to his life. He has not taken time to look up from his dreary work load to recognize from where his blessings, his food, and all he that he has comes from. He has not understood the goodness of God. How can we understood goodness in our lives if we have not understood that goodness comes from God.

vs 7 appetite is not filled - needs and wants again. We can have all our needs taken care of and still hunger for the appetite of our soul

vs 8 wise more than the fool? - spiritual knowledge and the belief that our spirits rule our bodies, not the other way around

vs 9 wandering of desire - this is a key phrase in this chapter and has to deal with our ability to be content with the sight of our eyes. We really cannot physically be responsible for more than we can see with our own eyes. So why do we obtain riches and then want more than we can see, hold, or care for?

vs 11 many things that increase vanity - There are so many things that tend to feed our hunger of uncontrolled desires. Whatever attends to our senses: sight, smell, taste, lust, touch, pride, etc... will serve to increase our vanity if it is used without goodness of intent.

vs 12 as a shadow - We are but shadows if we cannot separate out the good from the vanity in our life.

vs 12 - who can tell a man- who can tell the future and in knowing the future we understand the difference between what will be vain(without use in the future) and what will be remembered and of use to those who come after us.