One: A Marriage Devotional by Jimmy EvansSample

Finding Contentment

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil… (1 Timothy 6:6, 9-10)

In the verses above, the Apostle Paul gave Timothy a warning about money. He began by talking about the issue of contentment. Contentment is the opposite of greed. A spirit of contentment is crucial in financial success because it is able to wait for things. Also, as it waits, it is thankful to God for what He has already provided. Contentment does not mean you don’t want more. It just means that as you pray and believe God for more, you trust Him for His provision as you thank
Him for all He has done in the past.

Without contentment, you are driven to get more and many times take for granted what God has done. Even worse, discontentment is often unthankful and negative about present circumstances. That is offensive to God and is an attitude He won’t bless. Even though He always loves you, He is like any good parent. He rewards thankfulness and obedience and won’t reward bad attitudes and rebellion.

The fruit of discontentment is debt, division in your marriage and being deceived into believing that money and material objects will fulfill you. The worst result of discontentment is the loss of intimacy with God. Because you are not thankful and dependent upon Him, money becomes your god and replaces the Lord as the object of your attention, affection and trust.

Paul also warned Timothy that people who desire to be rich fall into temptations and snares that lead to destruction. You need to realize that God wants to bless you financially. Wealth is a blessing from God. The issue is not that God does not want you to be rich. The issue is that money should not be the chief goal of your life and the love of money should not overshadow your love for God. The number one desire of your life should be to please God and obey His will.

God wants to bless you and give you your heart’s desires. He is a good God. However, God blesses you as you thank Him daily for what He has done and maintain a spirit of contentment. You unashamedly pray and plan for more, but are willing to wait until He guides and provides.
This is the secret of a financially blessed marriage.

Talk It Out | Thank God for giving you food, covering and the basics of life. Pray together about your financial needs, desires and dreams. As you do this regularly, it will transform your marriage and your relationship with God.

Walk It Out | Put into practice the concept of contentment by blessing someone else. Volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen, or give a financial gift to a non-profit organization whose cause you believe in.