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).
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I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.
Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD. Bless his name. Proclaim his salvation from day to day.
Pride only breeds quarrels, but with ones who take advice is wisdom.
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Neither grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer.
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."
For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by 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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"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
The LORD assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance.
Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred.
Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.
For though the fig tree doesn't flourish, nor fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive fails, the fields yield no food; the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls:
"Do not lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much more value than they? read more. "And which of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to his height? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith? "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
He said to them, "Beware. Keep yourselves from all covetousness, for a man's life does not consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses." He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. read more. He reasoned within himself, saying, 'What will I do, because I do not have room to store my crops?' He said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. I will tell my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."' "But God said to him, 'You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared?whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be. However, I would not have known sin, except through the law. For I would not have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."
He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. read more. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."