1 Timothy 6:8

1 Timothy 6:8

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

If our lives were reduced to just the bare necessities…to just food and clothing as noted above, would we be content? If all we had was a meal to eat, clothing to cover our bodies, and our faith in God, would we be at peace…could we be happy? For most of us, despite what we might think, we would most certainly NOT be content. For most of us, we can say that our Lord has not only provided the necessities for daily living, but he has also surrounded us with an abundance of luxuries. We live in nice homes, we have closets full of clothing, hot water at the turn of a knob, a pantry full of food, cars parked in the garage, TVs throughout the house, and instant entertainment in the palms of our hands. So if all these luxuries were stripped away, could we still be happy and give God praise for each day that we lived in this new “Spartan” manner? Earlier this year, a storm came through our town that caused significant destruction to our home. We spent months putting the pieces back together, and during that time, there was significant grumbling. Unfortunately, I was not content with the circumstances. Instead of seeing all that I still had…which was WAY more than just food and clothing…I grumbled about what I didn’t have. I focused on the plywood that covered the windows that once were glass…I complained about the roof that dripped water into the attic when it rained…I was bitter about the atheistically displeasing sight of dented doors and chipped paint. I was anything but content, and I voiced my displeasure. I was giving into my sinful nature that wants more, expects more, and complains when it is not provided. In the text written by Paul in verse 8 of 1 Timothy, Paul is pointing us to the important realization that we don’t need “stuff”, or material things, to be content in this life. Paul continues in verses 9-10, providing a warning of being consumed by material things: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” When I was consumed with restoring our home to its previously “proper” state, I was wrecked by stress, sinful anger, and unrighteous frustration. I was falling into the trap of foolishness and destruction that Paul mentions. I was losing sight of the fact that I still had a loving God, an all-providing God, a God that was going to steer me through the current challenge. Thankfully, we eventually reached the finish line of repairing our home…and thankfully in the process, the Lord humbled me and redirected my sight. The Lord allowed me to see that while things in this world are a blessing given to us directly from his loving hand…and we are to enjoy and give thanks for them…they are not to be our focus in life, and we should not allow them to lead us into sin. They are a part of life, not the center of life. God is the center…serving him should be our focus. And when we come to truly embrace that, we find a bit of that contentment that Paul mentions…we find a bit of unusual peace and rest in this otherwise crazy world. So today, may we enjoy the gifts that God has provided for this life…but may we remember that it is all temporary, and that our focus should always remain on the eternal. To God be the glory!