Hence the poor are often the ones who must be on guard. Contentment is understanding that you are truly blessed by God, and that his goodness to us is itself of immeasurable value. We are told in Psalm 49 of the tendency of wealthy men to accumulate wealth that passes to others when they die. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations. Nevertheless, they perish.
Men tend to want to repeat the first sin.
With wealth man thinks he can be self-sufficient, first of all economically, then spiritually. The power that comes from wealth gives man a false confidence that blinds him to his own condition and need. Men, who tend to trust what is tangible, see wealth as a source of safety, and genuine needs can then become covetous. Paul names only food and clothing as conditions necessary for contentment. We must be careful to note it is how one regards wealth or why one desires it that is the real issue.