What Is Financial Contentment? | Joyful Wealth Management: A Bible Study Discussion Guide

1 Timothy 6:6

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.” NASB

“And religion does make your life rich, by making you content with what you have.” CEV

1 Timothy 6 has a lot to say about wealth. It tells us about wealth accumulation, wealth management, and wealth enjoyment. And it starts the discussion with contentment. Godliness and religion can make our lives rich. How? Through contentment. The word for contentment in 6:6 is autarkeias. Definitions include:

“A perfect condition of life, in which no aid or support is needed”

“A sufficiency of the necessaries of life”

“A mind contented with its lot, contentment”¹

How would you define financial contentment?
What would that look like for you? What would it feel like?

One study looked at those with a net worth over $50 million. Only one in five reported feeling “extremely financially secure.”² One in ten felt “somewhat insecure” financially.

Can those with great wealth still live a life without financial contentment? Why?
How might wealth without contentment fail to make your life rich?
How does godliness with contentment create a “great gain” or “huge profits”³?

Notes and references

Thayer, J. H. (1889). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament. American Book Company. 84-85.
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Rooney, P. M. & Frederick, H. K. (2007). Portraits of donors: Bank of America study of high net‐worth philanthropy. The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. p. 11.
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1 Timothy 6:6, “A godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have.” (GOD'S WORD® Translation); “Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.” (New English Translation - NET Bible); “Of course, godliness with contentment does bring a great profit.” (International Standard Version)
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