contentment - how much is enough?

A number of posts ago, Cathy made an astute comment on the danger of being a contented, well educated, westerner. Namely that we can often choose where we place the bar for how much we earn and own. So it is easy for us to slack off and over-consume, all the while telling ourselves that we're very content with all that we have.

This got me wondering: where does the Bible set the bar for material contentedness, assuming that God sets the bar anywhere at all?

I discovered that the bar is very low

"... if we have food and clothing" writes the apostle Paul, "we will be content with that." (1 Tim 6:8)

So I have ample grounds for contentment already. Not only do I have enough food and clothing, I also have money in the bank that can buy me more clothing and food as I need them. Not only so, but I can pick and choose what kind of food and clothing I wear. I may not be able to afford designer labels or organic farm produce all the time, but there is still an inordinate amount of choice in how much I spend and consume.

This is not to mention that I own plenty of things above and beyond food and clothing. A car, musical instruments, we own part of our house (the bank owns the rest), and on the list goes.

So, should I give all these things up and be content with just food and clothing? Well, it's certainly true that I must be prepared as a Christian to give up anything for the sake of Christ. However, I think that what Paul is getting at in the broader context of 1 Tim 6 is that a lack of contentedness drives sin. That is, the more we want material blessings above and beyond food and clothing, the more danger we are in of compromise in our faith in Christ and moral purity.

What might this look like for me?

At the moment, the thought of giving up paid work to have a child is a bit scary. (Yes, I will be taking a break from paid work for a while.) Will we have enough money in the bank? What will it be like to further rein in our spending? Will I compromise caring for our child and being ministry-minded so that we can rake in some more cash? Will I spend too much money on "must have" baby items that aren't necessary, thereby withholding money from other more worthwhile expenditures?

In all of this it will be important for me to trust God to provide what we actually need, and to pray for contentedness with what we actually have. I know I will have to pray for it, because past experience tells me it doesn't come naturally. Just ask my husband sometime how much money I would have spent on our bunnies if it weren't for his moderating influence!