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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Therefore, I say to you, be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat, or what ye may drink; nor for your body, what ye may put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?
Be not, therefore, anxious for the morrow; for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its evil.
through Whom also we have had access by faith into this grace in which we have been standing; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer.
But godliness with contentment is a great source of gain;
Let your disposition be without fondness for money; content with the present things; for He Himself hath said, "I will in nowise leave you, neither will I in any wise forsake you."
For where there are jealousy and contention, there is confusion and every vile deed.
through which have been given to us very great and precious promises, that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world in 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 consume, and where thieves break through, and steal;
Therefore, I say to you, be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat, or what ye may drink; nor for your body, what ye may put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? Behold the fowls of the heaven, that they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye much more valuable than they? read more. And who of you, by being anxious, can add to his stature one cubit? And why are ye anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; but I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these. And, if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, that to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith! Be not, therefore, anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink!' or 'What shall we put on?' For after all these things the nations are seeking; for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first His Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
And He said to them, "Take heed, and guard yourselves from all covetousness; because one's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses." And He spake a parable to them, saying, "A certain rich man's field yielded bountifully; read more. and he reasoned within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, because I have not where to store my fruits?' And he said, 'This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there will I store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Senseless one! this night they require your soul of you; and the things you prepared, whose shall they be?' So is he who is laying up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
What, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? It could not be! But I had not known sin, except through law; for I would not know even coveting, if the law did not say, "You shall not covet;"
And He hath said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you; for My power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Not that I am speaking in respect of want; for I learned in whatsoever circumstances I am, to be content. I both know how to be humbled, and I know how to abound: in everything, and in all things, I have learned both to be well fed, and to be hungry, both to abound, and to be in want. read more. I am strong enough for all things in Him Who strengtheneth me.
I am strong enough for all things in Him Who strengtheneth me.
but, having food and raiment, with these we shall be content.
Let your disposition be without fondness for money; content with the present things; for He Himself hath said, "I will in nowise leave you, neither will I in any wise forsake you."