Contentment

Philippians 4:10-12 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction. Happy and satisfied with the lot God has given you in this life. 

From our theme scripture contentment is learned. The flesh by default will cry out like a baby for what it doesn't have and also naturally feel some level of discomfort with what it currently possesses. The solution is to subject the natural under the spiritual and not let them dominate. 

What are some of those things we should be content about? Be content about the country you were born, the wife you have, the children God has given you, the church God has placed you in, the education you have, the friends, etc. Many evils arise because of discontentment which cause many to shipwreck their faith. 

You can easily add to what you currently possess if you are content rather than when your discontent. If you are actually discontent with what you have presently, even if what you think you want comes around, you will not be content still and the cycle continues. 

Judas' betrayal of Jesus for money maybe rooted in discontentment. Maybe he desired to become rich so quickly, no wonder he was also stealing from the treasury of Jesus! The sin of Adam to disobey God is also rooted in discontentment. Had they been satisfied with them being in God's image, and the knowledge they had of God, they wouldn't fall for the deception of the devil to want to know more than what they shouldn't have known. It was God's best for them not to activate the sense of knowing good and evil. Knowing God alone was sufficient to have the good life. 

People are busy replaying Adam and Judas' sin of discontentment. They are chasing contentment in the wrong places. They think if they have more and know more, then they will be more content and more secure. But that's a lie of old. True contentment is found in knowing Christ. From being content, one can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.