“But godliness with contentment is great gain.” — 1 Timothy 6:6
Lesson
What You Will Learn
- Quote 1 Timothy 6:10 accurately and explain the difference between money and the love of money
- Explain Paul's learned contentment (Philippians 4:11–13)
- Identify pressures that work against contentment
- Define “enough” for your household
Lesson Notes
The Love of Money
People often say, “Money is the root of all evil.” The verse actually says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). The problem is the love, not the money.
Signs that money has moved from tool to love: it fills our thoughts, we compromise honesty to get it, we are never satisfied (“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver,” Ecclesiastes 5:10), we feel worthless without it, and we envy others who have more.
Learned Contentment
Paul wrote, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). He wrote it while in chains (Philippians 1:13). He knew how to be “full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (4:12). Contentment did not come naturally; he learned it.
Its source was Christ: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (4:13), and God's presence: “be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).
Contentment is not laziness, and it does not mean accepting injustice or unsafe living. It is peace that does not depend on circumstances while you work toward good goals.
Pressures Against Contentment
- Comparison: what others have, wear, or post.
- Advertising: messages designed to make us feel we lack something.
- “Making up for lost time”: wanting to buy children, family, or yourself what was missed.
- Looking okay: borrowing or overspending to appear stable.
Jesus warned, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).
Defining Enough
Proverbs 30:8 prays, “give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me.” Paul wrote, “having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:8).
Enough is a decision made ahead of time: what lifestyle is sufficient for this season. When income rises above enough, the extra can go to saving, debt freedom, and giving instead of rising spending. Wanting a better life is not wrong. Deciding what is enough protects that better life from the endless pull of more.
Key Terms
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Contentment | Peace with what God provides that does not depend on circumstances |
| Covetousness | A strong desire for what belongs to others or for more and more |
| Love of money | Treating money as the source of security, worth, or joy (1 Timothy 6:10) |
| Enough | A pre-decided level of lifestyle that is sufficient for this season |
In-Class Activities
Misquoted or Accurate?
Mark each Accurate (give the reference) or Not in the Bible / Misquoted:
- “Money is the root of all evil.” 2. “God helps those who help themselves.” 3. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 4. “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” 5. “The borrower is servant to the lender.” 6. “Be content with such things as ye have.”
Enough Inventory
For your first year after release, describe what “enough” looks like for housing, food, clothing, transportation, phone, and gifts. Then write what you would do with any money above enough.
Assignment: My Enough Statement
Write one page:
- Define “enough” for your household in at least five areas.
- Name the pressure against contentment that affects you most and a plan to resist it.
- Memorize Hebrews 13:5 or Philippians 4:11 and write it from memory.
Graded with the Module Assignment Rubric.
Reflection Journal
Paul learned contentment while in chains. What has this season taught you about what you truly need? What do you hope to remember about contentment when you have more choices?
Prayer focus: Ask God to teach you contentment, to guard your heart from the love of money, and to show you what is enough.
Weekly Reading & Devotions
Learning Enough
Paul wrote one of the Bible's best-known lines about contentment while he was in chains: “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). He did not say contentment came easily. He said he learned it.
That is hopeful for women who know what it is to go without. Contentment is not pretending needs don't matter. It is finding a peace that does not depend on what we have, because God has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).
After release, pressures will come: wanting to give your children everything they missed, wanting to look like you are doing fine, seeing what others have. Those feelings are understandable. Deciding what is “enough” ahead of time is one of the kindest things you can do for your future self.
Monique wanted to buy her daughter a new phone the week she got home. (Monique is a composite example.) Instead, she and her daughter made a plan together, and Monique spent that first weekend taking her to the park and the library. Her daughter later said that was what she remembered. Presence was enough.
Think About It
- What has this season taught you about what you truly need? ______________________
- What pressure against contentment do you expect after release? ______________________
- What would “enough” look like for your household? ______________________
Daily Devotions for Week 3
Great Gain
But godliness with contentment is great gain.— 1 Timothy 6:6 (KJV)
The world counts gain by what we gather. God counts gain by godliness and peace.
Reflect: How do you measure a good life?
Pray: Lord, teach me Your kind of gain.
Do: Write one thing you have that money cannot buy.
Learned Contentment
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.— Philippians 4:11 (KJV)
Contentment is learned in real circumstances, including this one.
Reflect: What is God teaching you about contentment right now?
Pray: Lord, teach me to be content in this state.
Do: Notice one complaint today and turn it into a thank-you.
Never Forsaken
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.— Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)
Our deepest security is not money but God's presence.
Reflect: When do you feel most alone with your needs?
Pray: Lord, thank You that You will never leave me.
Do: Memorize this verse and say it when you feel worried.
More Than Things
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.— Luke 12:15 (KJV)
Your life is far more than what you own.
Reflect: What gives your life meaning besides things?
Pray: Lord, guard my heart from covetousness.
Do: Spend time today on a relationship instead of a want.
Neither Poverty Nor Riches
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:— Proverbs 30:8 (KJV)
This wise prayer asks for enough, not for excess and not for lack.
Reflect: What would it mean to pray for “enough”?
Pray: Lord, give me what is enough, and help me recognize it.
Do: Write your own one-sentence prayer for enough.
Module Quiz
- 1.
According to 1 Timothy 6:10, what is the root of all evil?
- 2.
Where was Paul when he wrote about learning contentment?
- 3.
Which is a pressure against contentment named in this module?
- 4.
Biblical contentment means you should never set goals or work toward a better life.
- 5.
What does it mean to define “enough,” and why does it help?