And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Having basic food and clothing is enough reason to be satisfied. That satisfaction means being content with simple, sufficient necessities even without conveniences or luxuries. True gain is godliness joined with such contentment, since material wealth is no measure of godliness or worth, and people bring nothing into the world and can carry nothing out. The desire to become rich and the love of money as the root of all evil lead into temptation and a snare and into foolish, harmful desires that bring ruin and destruction, cause departure from the faith, and pierce with many sorrows. Learning this contentment keeps personal wants simple so that what is saved can be used for the benefit of others and invested in giving the message of Christ's soon coming to the unwarned.
Meaning of True Gain
Having food and clothing is enough reason to be content. Contentment with godliness is true gain, in contrast to the pursuit of riches, which leads into temptation and harmful desires and brings loss of faith, ruin, destruction and sorrow. Earthly wealth cannot be carried beyond this life, so those entrusted with wealth are to pursue godliness and other virtues and use it for good works and generosity, laying up treasure for eternal life.
The contentment required is satisfaction with convenient and sufficient necessities. God's people are to learn to be content with simple food and clothing in a life of patience and self-denial, even without conveniences or luxuries. This is illustrated by people who are content when their small plots provide enough to feed themselves and their children. Being satisfied with these needs makes it easier to keep heart and hands free from covetousness and dishonesty.
Godliness joined with contentment is great gain. Material wealth is not a measure of godliness or human worth. Supposing that gain is godliness breaks that contentment, for that supposition is being dazed and blinded by the god of this world, idolizing the world and making mammon god and master. It dwarfs the mind in spiritual things while giving power toward worldly things, turns ability and influence away from the higher calling and from the work of Christ, makes a person a worldly businessman and a slave to mammon, and by example takes courage from the family to strive to enter in at the strait gate.
People bring nothing into the world and can carry nothing out, so earthly wealth cannot be taken beyond this life. Money is of value only as held in trust as God's gift to bless humanity, and when used to indulge and glorify self it becomes a curse, an encumbrance, and a constant temptation. Truth hidden in the heart removes the spirit of rivalry, the love of ambition, the desire to be first, and slavery to earthly possessions that schemes and buys and sells for gain while neglecting the bread of life and the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.
Danger of Desiring Wealth
The resolve to become rich leads into temptation and a snare and into foolish and harmful cravings that drown people in ruin and destruction and perdition. The love of money is the root of all evil, and those who covet it err from the faith and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. To suppose that gain is godliness breaks contentment with food and clothing, for it is to be dazed and blinded by the god of this world. It idolizes the world and makes mammon god and master, dwarfing the mind in spiritual things while giving it power toward worldly things, turning ability and influence away from the higher calling and from the work of Christ, making a person a decidedly worldly businessman and a slave to mammon, and by example taking courage from the family to strive to enter in at the strait gate.
Having food and clothing and being content therewith condemns covetousness and love of earthly treasures when they become ruling traits of character, and while covetousness rules, salvation and grace stand back. Those who look for the second appearing of Christ and keep all the commandments of God are laid snares for especially, to make possessors of lands and money drunk with cares, to fix their affections on these things, to love and idolize the world presented in the most attractive light, and to care more for money than for the success of the kingdom of Christ and the spread of the truth. Keeping means back from the service of Christ injures His work and keeps subjects from being taken, hinders meetings appointed in different places, destroys love for one another, discourages and disheartens ministers, drives ministers to want and distress to weaken their courage and zeal, and puts a grudging disposition within any who attempt to give so that they give sparingly.
Poor people no less than the rich are in danger of coveting wealth, and instead of envying wealthier brethren they are to learn contentment and not seek gain through impatient, unwise schemes. Truth hidden in the heart as leaven molds the affections and sanctifies the soul, removing the spirit of rivalry, the love of ambition, the desire to be first, and slavery to earthly possessions that schemes and buys and sells for gain while neglecting the bread of life and the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. Money is of value only as held in trust as a gift of God to bless humanity, and when used to indulge and glorify self it becomes a curse, an encumbrance, and a constant temptation.
Living Contentedly for Others
God's people are to learn to be content with simple food and clothing in a life of patience and self-denial. When any are favored with worldly advantages, those advantages are given to be used for the benefit of others. This calls for keeping personal wants simple in order to save much means to invest in the work of the gospel. As laborers together with God they are to keep constantly in mind giving the message of Christ's soon coming to unwarned people, encouraged by angels of God.
Being satisfied with convenient and sufficient food and clothing makes it easier to keep the heart and hands free from covetousness and dishonesty and from its defilement. Those who make honesty the ruling principle in daily business must guard against coveting another person's silver, gold, or clothing. Overcoming in little things gives moral power to withstand greater temptations.
Having food and clothing is enough reason to be content, and this supports contentment with a small income and with basic provisions. It calls for living economically and within one's means, handling limited resources prudently rather than risking them in speculative enterprises to improve one's condition. Poor people, no less than the rich, are in danger of coveting wealth and envying wealthier brethren, and should not seek gain through impatient, unwise schemes but learn contentment.
Being satisfied with food and clothing while avoiding work is laziness, for the verse does not make merely having them enough. It stands with the duty to work diligently for God, to spend money wisely, to economize, and to use what is saved to support missionary work. Profession of poverty that stands in contrast to growing wealth and luxury violates contentment with life's necessities, as when gifts meant to help the sick and poor went without reaching them.
Having basic food and clothing is enough reason to be satisfied. That satisfaction means being content with simple, sufficient necessities even without conveniences or luxuries. True gain is godliness joined with such contentment, since material wealth is no measure of godliness or worth, and people bring nothing into the world and can carry nothing out. The desire to become rich and the love of money as the root of all evil lead into temptation and a snare and into foolish, harmful desires that bring ruin and destruction, cause departure from the faith, and pierce with many sorrows. Learning this contentment keeps personal wants simple so that what is saved can be used for the benefit of others and invested in giving the message of Christ's soon coming to the unwarned.
Meaning of True Gain
Having food and clothing is enough reason to be content. Contentment with godliness is true gain, in contrast to the pursuit of riches, which leads into temptation and harmful desires and brings loss of faith, ruin, destruction and sorrow. Earthly wealth cannot be carried beyond this life, so those entrusted with wealth are to pursue godliness and other virtues and use it for good works and generosity, laying up treasure for eternal life.
The contentment required is satisfaction with convenient and sufficient necessities. God's people are to learn to be content with simple food and clothing in a life of patience and self-denial, even without conveniences or luxuries. This is illustrated by people who are content when their small plots provide enough to feed themselves and their children. Being satisfied with these needs makes it easier to keep heart and hands free from covetousness and dishonesty.
Godliness joined with contentment is great gain. Material wealth is not a measure of godliness or human worth. Supposing that gain is godliness breaks that contentment, for that supposition is being dazed and blinded by the god of this world, idolizing the world and making mammon god and master. It dwarfs the mind in spiritual things while giving power toward worldly things, turns ability and influence away from the higher calling and from the work of Christ, makes a person a worldly businessman and a slave to mammon, and by example takes courage from the family to strive to enter in at the strait gate.
People bring nothing into the world and can carry nothing out, so earthly wealth cannot be taken beyond this life. Money is of value only as held in trust as God's gift to bless humanity, and when used to indulge and glorify self it becomes a curse, an encumbrance, and a constant temptation. Truth hidden in the heart removes the spirit of rivalry, the love of ambition, the desire to be first, and slavery to earthly possessions that schemes and buys and sells for gain while neglecting the bread of life and the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.
Danger of Desiring Wealth
The resolve to become rich leads into temptation and a snare and into foolish and harmful cravings that drown people in ruin and destruction and perdition. The love of money is the root of all evil, and those who covet it err from the faith and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. To suppose that gain is godliness breaks contentment with food and clothing, for it is to be dazed and blinded by the god of this world. It idolizes the world and makes mammon god and master, dwarfing the mind in spiritual things while giving it power toward worldly things, turning ability and influence away from the higher calling and from the work of Christ, making a person a decidedly worldly businessman and a slave to mammon, and by example taking courage from the family to strive to enter in at the strait gate.
Having food and clothing and being content therewith condemns covetousness and love of earthly treasures when they become ruling traits of character, and while covetousness rules, salvation and grace stand back. Those who look for the second appearing of Christ and keep all the commandments of God are laid snares for especially, to make possessors of lands and money drunk with cares, to fix their affections on these things, to love and idolize the world presented in the most attractive light, and to care more for money than for the success of the kingdom of Christ and the spread of the truth. Keeping means back from the service of Christ injures His work and keeps subjects from being taken, hinders meetings appointed in different places, destroys love for one another, discourages and disheartens ministers, drives ministers to want and distress to weaken their courage and zeal, and puts a grudging disposition within any who attempt to give so that they give sparingly.
Poor people no less than the rich are in danger of coveting wealth, and instead of envying wealthier brethren they are to learn contentment and not seek gain through impatient, unwise schemes. Truth hidden in the heart as leaven molds the affections and sanctifies the soul, removing the spirit of rivalry, the love of ambition, the desire to be first, and slavery to earthly possessions that schemes and buys and sells for gain while neglecting the bread of life and the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. Money is of value only as held in trust as a gift of God to bless humanity, and when used to indulge and glorify self it becomes a curse, an encumbrance, and a constant temptation.
Living Contentedly for Others
God's people are to learn to be content with simple food and clothing in a life of patience and self-denial. When any are favored with worldly advantages, those advantages are given to be used for the benefit of others. This calls for keeping personal wants simple in order to save much means to invest in the work of the gospel. As laborers together with God they are to keep constantly in mind giving the message of Christ's soon coming to unwarned people, encouraged by angels of God.
Being satisfied with convenient and sufficient food and clothing makes it easier to keep the heart and hands free from covetousness and dishonesty and from its defilement. Those who make honesty the ruling principle in daily business must guard against coveting another person's silver, gold, or clothing. Overcoming in little things gives moral power to withstand greater temptations.
Having food and clothing is enough reason to be content, and this supports contentment with a small income and with basic provisions. It calls for living economically and within one's means, handling limited resources prudently rather than risking them in speculative enterprises to improve one's condition. Poor people, no less than the rich, are in danger of coveting wealth and envying wealthier brethren, and should not seek gain through impatient, unwise schemes but learn contentment.
Being satisfied with food and clothing while avoiding work is laziness, for the verse does not make merely having them enough. It stands with the duty to work diligently for God, to spend money wisely, to economize, and to use what is saved to support missionary work. Profession of poverty that stands in contrast to growing wealth and luxury violates contentment with life's necessities, as when gifts meant to help the sick and poor went without reaching them.