“for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Timothy 6:7-8 ESV).
There is an old adage that offers a powerful yet simple principle that we can apply to many situations: “know your enemy.” This axiom is traditionally credited to the ancient military strategist Sun Tzu who is best known for a work entitled, The Art Of War. The idea behind this principle should be readily apparent: a person who knows his or her enemy is someone who is well-positioned to defeat his or her opponent.
We can apply this same idea to genuine satisfaction and contentment in life. If we know the enemies that rob us of contentment, we can defend against them and prevent them from doing so. For instance, it is possible to be content and satisfied with the blessings and provisions we receive from God- until we encounter those who seem to have more. That’s when the struggles with envy, jealousy, and other negative emotions often begin.
It’s also possible to become discontent if it seems as if God’s provision has resulted in less than we desire for ourselves. However, 1 Timothy 6:7-8 encourages us to reorient our thinking in this respect…
“Contentment consists of satisfaction with the basic necessities of life. Our heavenly Father knows that we need food and covering and has promised to supply these. Most of an unbeliever’s life revolves around food and clothing. The Christian should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and God will see that he does not lack the essentials of life. The word translated clothing here means covering and can include a place to live as well as clothes to wear. We should be content with food, clothing, and a place to live.” (1)
This does not mean that we should seek to impoverish ourselves for as 1 Timothy 6:17 will later go on to tell us, God “…gives us richly all things to enjoy.” If God elects to prosper us beyond the necessities of food, clothing, and a good place to live, we should make certain to use those assets in a way that honors Him. This can help us find genuine satisfaction in the blessings that God has extended to us.
As the ancient wisdom contained within the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes tells us…
“Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24).
(1) William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, pg.2100