Proverbs 14.30
“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”
Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Let’s continue with the topic of learning contentment …
The word that is translated “content” (I have learned in whatever situation to be content) is autarkes in the Greek, and it’s literal meaning is “self-sufficient, self-supporting, independent.” It is a powerful word. The Stoics understood autarkes to mean “the ability to be free from all want or needs,” and they elevated it to the chief of all virtues.
Obviously, and the scriptural context makes this clear, it is not referring to self-sufficiency apart from Christ; rather, it is referring to inner strength and sufficiency that has been learned and developed through doing the work of trusting Jesus through the circumstances of life.
It does not refer to independence from Christ; it refers to independence from external circumstances. Paul is saying that his contentment and inner peace have nothing to do with events and situations he is facing; his contentment comes from trusting Jesus.
Contentment did not come naturally to Paul, nor was it automatically given to him by the Lord. It was a process, something he had to learn from walking with God each day through the situations and challenges of life in a broken world. The same should be true for us. Key to the process is allowing God to use all of our circumstances to teach us about himself and train us in the mental and spiritual skills of the Christian faith. This is part of what Paul means in 1 Timothy 4 when he says “train yourself in godliness.”
The notion that the Lord somehow magically gives us peace and contentment whenever we ask for it is contrary to the process of spiritual transformation that is laid out in scripture. There are times when the Lord infuses his people with peace, but those are unique, special situations. They are the exception, not the rule.
Paul provides further insight into peace and contentment. Here is what he told Timothy: “Godliness with contentment is great gain, 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. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6.6-10)
What Paul is saying is that the desire to possess and acquire things is a source of discontent. The passage refers to “the desire to be rich” as the central problem, further emphasized by the famous verse “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” The truth of the matter is that it’s not just the desire for money that is the issue; the problem is when we love and desire anything more than God. It is the “craving” for something other than God that causes discontent and anxiety.
When we are discontented with our circumstances, when we are anxious and stressed about the situation, when we are jealous and envious of what other people have, we are saying to God: “You are not enough. I want more.”
This is the central message of Proverbs 14.30: “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” When we crave things other than God, we “pierce ourselves with many pangs.” It is a painful way to live.
Jesus spoke to this in the Sermon on the Mount when he told us to be careful what treasures we seek, because “where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” In other words, we should treat earthly treasures as just that … earthly treasures.
There is nothing wrong with having things; or seeking to succeed and achieve; or competing to win. In fact, we should work hard to produce, achieve, compete, and succeed. It is imperative, however, that we subordinate all of our passions, pursuits, and possessions to the lordship of Christ. Jesus and his kingdom must be the why and the how of our efforts. Our most fundamental desire must be to obey him, and we must obey him in why we perform and achieve, and in the way we go about it.
Paul tells Timothy that we start our life in this world with nothing and we will end our life in this world with nothing. So, contentment is not about what we accumulate; it is about how and why we live between our birth and our death. It is living each day — each moment — with deep faith and disciplined perspective, independent of our circumstances.
An autarkes life is rare. It is uncommon. It is the life to which the Lord calls us.
Trust God, do the work, and be content.
