How To Be Merry?
Teng Yun joined our traineeship from July to November. The trainees read through 1 Timothy together, and here, she reflects on how 1 Timothy 6 is applicable in a holiday season where we could find ourselves stressed and struggling with contentment.
Is it just me, or does the holiday season feel stressful? Comparison often sneaks into my heart — “My friend is in Greenland to see the aurora borealis, and I am not.” Financial stress creeps in as I stare at the long shopping list. Family drama looms on the horizon as the annual family gathering approaches. Yet isn’t this season supposed to be merry, joyful and peaceful? Where can I truly find these things?
Interestingly, the Apostle Paul addresses the same struggles to a young church leader in Ephesus, and his solution to achieve contentment and joy might surprise you. In the opening of Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul makes his purpose clear: to instruct Timothy how to bring order to the church in Ephesus.
What kind of city was Ephesus and what problems did the church face? The book of Acts offers valuable insight. As the first century commercial hub and capital city, Ephesus was a place of wealth. Yet, it was also a centre for the worship of Artemis, a practice that was deeply tied to the city’s economy. The book of Acts recounted how the spread of Christianity disrupted this profitable industry, even leading to a riot led by Demetrius, a silversmith who earned his fortune crafting silver shrines of Artemis. In this rich city, the belief that “godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim 6:5) became so entrenched in the culture of Ephesus that it even influenced the newly established church, which became a concern that Paul has to address in 1 Timothy.
We struggle with misplaced theology and distorted worship.
How does a problem in Ephesus relate to our holiday depression? The answer is that they both stem from the same root: misplaced theology and distorted worship. In 1 Timothy 6:2-5, Paul diagnoses the spiritual disease of the false teachers. It begins with a distortion of God’s words (1 Tim 6:3), triggering a vicious cycle of pride and ignorance (1 Tim 6:4a) in their hearts. They crave wealth (1 Tim 6:4b) and to achieve it, quarrel and friction arises (1 Tim 6:5a). Finally, we see the pinnacle of the problem: imagining that godliness is a means for financial gain (1 Tim 6:5b).
The same diagnosis applies to us. The emotions that many of us experience during the holiday season — comparison, envy, discontent — stem from the same greedy heart the false teachers in Ephesus had. We desire to be rich, at the expense of godliness. At its root, our struggle goes back to the original lie, the original distortion of God’s word that the snake whispered in the Garden. We are tempted to ask, “Does God really say that He richly provides us with everything to enjoy (1 Tim 6:17)?”
Only through right theology and worship can we recognise Christ’s kingship and focus on eternal life.
After Paul’s diagnosis of false teaching, he started his instruction on how Timothy should fight the war against greed, providing the cure to the problem. In 1 Timothy 6:12-16, he commands Timothy to “take hold of eternal life...”. Paul then shifts from commands to a poetic proclamation of Jesus Christ’s supremacy and sovereignty. He reminds Timothy of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, whose eternal reign calls for our worship (1 Tim 6:16). It is only through this right theology and worship that we can recognise Christ’s kingship and focus on eternal life. Only then can we find true contentment. By aligning our hearts with this eternal perspective, we can live joyful, peaceful and merry lives in the present.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let this season’s true King reign in our hearts, filling us with lasting contentment and joy.