What are you Chasing?

Everyone is Chasing Something

Everyone is chasing something. Did you know that?

We chase

careers,

hobbies,

people,

status,

significance,

comfort,

money

wealth

peace

love

What we chase, tells us about what we value

Chasing a career may suggest we value stability and are afraid of not having enough.

Chasing comfort may reveal laziness as something we value, or that we are afraid of having a never-ending cycle of work.

The source of what we chase is not the label we normally see.

If I am chasing money, I may really be chasing my own satisfaction that money provides.

If I am chasing peace, I may be willing to sacrifice the relationships of those around me for the facade of peace (without God)

Anything that is not God at the end of the “rainbow” leads to destruction.

Paul´s Warning

1 Timothy 6:3–10 NKJV

3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. 6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 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. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The root of those who taught false doctrine was they supposed that godliness is a means of gain.

What gain is he talking about?

Financial, Prominence (Remember, they cared about fans and followers too)

This is not real Godliness. This is a facade to gain attention. Do we do this?

Are our motivations pure? They must be if we want to see God move in our city!

Are we Content?

Paul then turns it around and says, 1 Timothy 6:6 “6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”

When we find contentment in Him, our commitment to follow Jesus has GREAT Gain.

The word contentment, according to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, is “a state of mind in which one’s desires are confined to his lot whatever it may be.”

In this context I would go a bit further. - I believe that contentment is surrender to the one who is our sufficiency. The God to whom we rely.

Paul said, Godliness with contentment. We are considered “Godly” when we align ourselves under the Kingship and authority of God.

Consider a toddler when they are not in “terror” mode. Does that toddler question whether or not mom or dad has their best? When my kids were toddlers, they never asked us to provide some level of proof that we were able to provide a good life, complete with raisins. They played, and lived without worry.

Why is it, when we get a little older, and learn a bit, we begin to worry about life. We begin to chase thing after thing.

The surrender, rest, and worry-free attitude of children is why I believed God tells us we need to be like little kids to get to heaven

Matthew 18:3 NKJV

3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

They are so care free. Why? Because they rest in the sufficiency of their parents.

The gain is now, not calculated or cunning. It is the gratitude toward what the God of the Universe has given.

Paul even makes it easierL 1 Timothy 6:7

1 Timothy 6:7–8 NKJV

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

But I don’t want to be content with these. This is where we through tantrums like a toddler.

Family, A large reason why Christians fall, is they do not feel satisfied in Christ alone. They are looking for other things to satisfy them.

This leads to people coming in and teaching false doctrine, because it is a crowd pleaser - not centered on Christ.

Chasing Money

Verse 10 causes us to see that some were chasing money - and that the LOVE of Money 1 Tim 6 10

1 Timothy 6:10 NKJV

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

So sad, that loving money makes money what you chase. Money should be like any other tool. It should be used to enable and enhance your chasing of God.

For those who think Paul was saying no one should be wealthy, let’s read vs. 1 Tim 6 17-19

1 Timothy 6:17–19 NKJV

17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

The key is TRUSTING in the Living God.

He should be the one you are chasing. What do I mean?

God is not a means to an end.

God is the end of the journey - He is the destination.

The false teachers saw “godliness as gain”, but God was NOT their gain. He was seen as a means to other forms of gain.

Pursuit of Godliness

Here is what Paul tells Timothy to chase:

1 Timothy 6:11–16 NKJV

11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

This is a fight. It is not cheap.

There are victories and defeats. There are times of peace and times of war.

SIDENOTE - v15: God says when Jesus is coming back in His own time. We don’t get to choose.

What are you chasing?

Are there things that motivate you to get up in the morning that do not center on Jesus Christ? Sometimes I do. It is natural to get distracted.

This is not a judgement, this is recentering. This is getting our spiritual wheels re-aligned and calibrated.