1 Timothy 6:7, 8 Be Content

1 Timothy 6:7, 8 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

People talk about a simple lifestyle but here is Paul advocating it back in the first century. He observes first that we brought nothing into the world a baby is born naked and with nothing. It will die if it is not provided for pretty quickly. Something similar pertains at the end of life - we can take nothing out of the world. When you die you leave everything behind. In between all that really matters then is that we have food and clothing. As Christians we ought to be content with that as enough, especially when we remember that to desire to be rich is to fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction ( 9) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil that has often led to people wandering from the faith and piercing themselves with many griefs (10). Godliness with contentment is clearly the thing to aim for. This is probably not so much a matter of lifestyle choices as reminding ourselves of the realities of birth, death and life here on earth. Ministers should set an example in this respect and their teaching should re-enforce these ideas.