Fleeing Discontentment by Pursuing Righteousness

Article Written by Pastor Phil Bray

           “But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” (1 Tim 6:11). Paul commands Timothy to flee the discontentment that produces an idolatrous love of money (1 Tim 6:6-10). This is discontentment, a frustrated disposition due to an inability to obtain something that you believe will bring you gladness, peace, pleasure, or joy. You are convinced that this relationship, this amount of money, this sexual experience, this promotion, or this visual mark of success is absolutely necessary to finally feel a sense of accomplishment and rest, of pleasure or peace. Yet, you find yourself continually frustrated. As soon as you cross one hurdle another looms up before you, preventing the joy and peace you believed were just beyond the last hurdle! This is discontentment. 

            Paul urges Timothy to flee from these things, the things associated with or produced by discontentment. That may be a love of money or it might be longing for power and fame; either of which could be the idol we worship in order to be glad and at peace. Yet, these false gods will never give what they promise. These “joy givers” are but inaccessible carrots dangling on the end of a stick. Stop chasing riches, sex, power, reputation, and success. How? How does one alter course? What does the action of fleeing look like in reality? 

            To flee the discontentment-driven lust for the things of this world we must pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. These qualities are not qualities that will magically appear in our lives, as fully grown characteristics. They are, in some sense, elusive. They must be pursued and run down. They must be chased and followed until they are obtained! It is the pursuit of these things that is the fleeing from the discontentment that produces a love of money, power, or sex as the key to gladness and peace. 

            How then do we pursue these things? Let’s look at them one at a time. Pursue righteousness. Righteousness is the character and behavioral reality of one who truly follows Christ. Righteousness is what the follower of Jesus hungers for (Matt 5:6), what is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:20). It is a life characterized by obedience to God’s commands, the doing of what is right (Acts 10:35; 13:10). It is thus the opposite of lawlessness, or living as if God’s Law is irrelevant or insignificant (Heb 1:9). 

            We cannot obtain righteousness by our own effort though. We are guilty sinners deserving of death (Rom 3:23, 6:23). Yet, Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor 1:30)! He is the gift of God to sinners (Rom 5:17) and when we embrace Jesus in faith, treasuring Him, delighting in Him, wanting Him above all else, righteousness is credited to us (Rom 4:5)! We are counted as righteous and that righteousness begins to permeate throughout our life as Christ exercises dominion over every area of our existence. We have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. The life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself up for us (Gal 2:20). He lives His life through us, willing and working out His good pleasure so that we are transformed and conformed into the likeness of Christ (Rom 8:29). 

            So, we pursue righteousness by pursuing Christ! We trust in Christ, delighting in Him above all else. When this occurs we also delight in the way of Christ and so we work out our salvation with fear and trembling as God works in and through us to conform us, to shape us into the image of Christ (Php 2:12-13). Christ transforms our hearts so that we delight in the way of Jesus. As we study the Scripture and submit to the conviction of the Holy Spirit our lifestyle and character begins to take the shape of righteousness. We obey where we previously disobeyed. Righteousness is the action of obedience! Pursuing righteousness is pursuing Christ and Christlikeness in all the details and scenarios of life. 

            Are you focused and intent on doing all that Jesus commands (Matt 28:18-20)? Are you submitting to the clear instruction of God’s word in all the particulars of your life? Are you striving to live your life in obedience to all that God has spoken? Obedience is righteousness. Pursue obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit, out of a genuine delight in Christ and His ways!