Food, Roof, and Clothing?

Descipleship

11Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

– Philippians 4:11

8If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

– 1 Timothy 6:8
(NASB® © 2020)

There are some statements in the Bible that we find very difficult to take literally. 1 Timothy 6:8 is certainly one of them.

Paul says here: “If we have food to eat, a roof over our heads, and clothes to wear, let us be content.” That is a remarkable statement. We might have written: “If we have food, shelter, an annual vacation, a great garden, dozens of shoes, the latest car … let us be content.”

The Lord Jesus, our great Master and the One we want to become more like, once said about Himself: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Lk 9:58). He voluntarily renounced comforts that were naturally his (2 Cor 8:9). But let’s be honest with ourselves: In THIS area, Christlikeness is very difficult for us.

Are we satisfied? If not, what do we think we still need to attain this state?

Here are a few quotes from men of faith on this topic that – if we let them sink in – will shake us up:

  • “I enjoy the luxury of having few things to worry about.” (Hudson Taylor)
  • “I am determined to see everything I possess exclusively in relation to the kingdom of God.” (David Livingstone)
  • “I want nothing for myself, I want everything for the Lord.” (Watchman Nee)
  • “If a man has Christ in his heart, heaven before his eyes, and just enough temporal blessings to carry him safely through life, then pain and sorrow have a small target.” (William Burns)
  • “To a frugal man, God has loosed the cramp of the grasping hand.” (Jim Elliot)
  • “Two of the most common thieves of pleasure are gluttony and ingratitude. Both are byproducts of the health, wealth, and progress mentality of our day. These teachings have produced a generation of Christians who are more insatiable than ever because their demands and expectations are higher than ever before. They have lost sight of God’s sovereignty and with it the ability to thank Him for everything … Today, it is mostly not about necessities, but about preferences.” (Unknown)

Let Paul speak to us once again: “For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil 4:11)!

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