Reference: Contentment
Easton
(1) a state of mind in which one's desires are confined to his lot whatever it may be (1Ti 6:6; 2Co 9:8). It is opposed to envy (Jas 3:16), avarice (Heb 13:5), ambition (Pr 13:10), anxiety (Mt 6:25,34), and repining (1Co 10:10). It arises from the inward disposition, and is the offspring of humility, and of an intelligent consideration of the rectitude and benignity of divine providence (Ps 96:1-2; 145), the greatness of the divine promises (2Pe 1:4), and our own unworthiness (Ge 32:10); as well as from the view the gospel opens up to us of rest and peace hereafter (Ro 5:2).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Therefore I say unto you, Be not solicitous for your soul what you may eat, nor for your body what you may put on. Is not your soul more valuable than food, and your body than raiment?
Therefore be not solicitous unto the morrow: for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
through whom we also have access by faith unto this grace in which we stand, and let us rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Neither murmur, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Godliness with contentment is great gain,
Let your deportment be free from covetousness; being content with present things: for he said, I will not, I will not, leave you, neither do I ever forsake you;
For where there are envy and strife, there are contention and every evil work.
through which precious and greatest promises have been given unto us; that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Hastings
1. The word does not occur in the OT, but the duty is implied in the Tenth Commandment (Ex 20:17), and the wisdom of contentment is enforced in Pr 15:17; 17:1 by the consideration that those who seem most enviable may, be worse off than ourselves. But the bare commandment 'Thou shalt not covet' may only stir up all manner of coveting (Ro 7:7 f.); and though a man may sometimes be reconciled to his lot by recognizing a principle of compensation in human life, that principle is far from applying to every case. It is not by measuring ourselves with one another, but only by consciously setting ourselves in the Divine presence, that true contentment can ever be attained. Faith in God is its living root (cf. Ps 16:6 with Ps 16:5; also Hab 3:17 f.).
2. In the NT the grace of contentment is expressly brought before us. Our Lord inculcated it negatively by His warnings against covetousness (Lu 12:15-21), positively by His teaching as to the Fatherhood of God (Mt 6:25-32 ||) and the Kingdom of God (Mt 6:33, cf. Mt 6:19 f.). St. Paul (Php 4:11-13) claims to have 'learned the secret' of being content in whatsoever state he was. The word he uses is autark
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Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and thieves break through and steal:
Therefore I say unto you, Be not solicitous for your soul what you may eat, nor for your body what you may put on. Is not your soul more valuable than food, and your body than raiment? Look unto the fowls of heaven, how they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not more excellent than they? read more. And which one of you being solicitous is able to add one moment to his existence? And why are you solicitous concerning raiment? Know the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. But I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these. But if God so clothed the verdure of the field, existing today and tomorrow cast into the oven, how much more you, O ye of little faith? Therefore be not solicitous, saying, What can we eat? or what can we drink? or with what can we be clothed? For after all these things the heathen were seeking; for your heavenly Father knoweth that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
And He said to them, See, and beware of all covetousness: because his life is not in that which aboundeth to any one, from those things belonging to him. He spake a parable to them, saying, The farm of a certain rich man was very productive: read more. and he was reasoning in himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no place where I shall store my fruits? And he said, I will do this: I will take down my barns, and build greater, and there I will gather all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Thou fool, this night they are demanding thy soul from thee; and to whom shall those things which thou hast prepared, belong? So is every one laying up treasure for himself, and not rich toward God.
Then what shall we say? is the law sin? It could not be so; but I did not know sin except through the law: for indeed I had not known lusts, unless the law said, Thou shalt not covet.
And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most delightfully I will glory the more in my infirmities, in order that the power of Christ may abide on me.
Not that I speak concerning deficiency: for I have learned to be content with those things amid which I am. I indeed know how to be poor, and I know how to abound: in every thing and in all things I learned both to flourish and to be poor, both to abound and to be destitute. read more. I can do all things through him who fills me up with dynamite.
I can do all things through him who fills me up with dynamite.
however having food and raiment we shall be contented with these.
Let your deportment be free from covetousness; being content with present things: for he said, I will not, I will not, leave you, neither do I ever forsake you;