I've found that true contentment is something you can only really grasp and hold onto when God is at the center of your life. It's about finding that deep sense of satisfaction and thankfulness, no matter what life throws your way.
The Bible teaches us that contentment is a virtue we should all strive for. It's what brings us peace and joy, regardless of our circumstances. It's not always easy, but it's definitely worth pursuing.
There's this passage in Philippians 4:11-13 where Paul talks about his own experience with contentment. He says, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." That's powerful stuff, right?
Paul's words show us that contentment isn't about how much stuff we have or what we've accomplished. It's about our relationship with God and our trust in Him. It's about accepting where we are right now, knowing that in every season, in every situation, we can experience God's love and provision.
Just like Paul, we can learn to be content in both good times and bad. We can find that sweet spot of satisfaction knowing that through Christ, we have the strength to face anything.
And I know also how to be lowed, [or how to be bowed, or meeked], I know also how to have plenty [or how to abound]. Every-where and in all things I am taught to be [full]-filled, and to hunger, and to abound, and to suffer mis-ease.
For we brought in nothing into this world, and no doubt, that we may not bear anything away.But we having foods, and with what things we shall be covered [or clothed], be we satisfied with these things.
I say not as for need, for I have learned to be sufficient in which things I am.And I know also how to be lowed, [or how to be bowed, or meeked], I know also how to have plenty [or how to abound]. Every-where and in all things I am taught to be [full]-filled, and to hunger, and to abound, and to suffer mis-ease.I may all things in him that comforteth me.
But a great winning is piety, with sufficience.For we brought in nothing into this world, and no doubt, that we may not bear anything away.But we having foods, and with what things we shall be covered [or clothed], be we satisfied with these things.
Be your manners without covetousness, satisfied with present things; for he said, I shall not leave thee, neither forsake,
For which thing I am pleased in mine infirmities, in despisings, [or reprovings], in needs, in persecutions, in anguishes, for Christ; for when I am sick, then I am mighty.
Therefore I say to you, that ye be not busy to your life, what ye shall eat; nor to your body, with what ye shall be clothed. Whether life is not more than meat, and the body more than the cloth?Behold ye the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither reap, neither gather into barns; and your Father of heaven feedeth them. Whether ye be not more worthy than they?
And he said to them, See ye, and beware of all covetousness; for the life of a man is not in the abundance of the things, which he wieldeth.
Better is a little with rightfulness [or rightwiseness], than many fruits with wickedness.
Feel ye the same thing together; not understanding, [or savouring, or cunning], high things, but consenting to meek things, [following meek fathers]. Do not ye be prudent with yourselves;
The song of degrees to David. Lord, mine heart is not enhanced; neither mine eyes be raised. Neither I went in great things; neither in marvels above me.If I feeled not meekly; but [I] en-hanced my soul. As a child weaned on his mother; so yielding be in my soul.
Therefore I say to you, that ye be not busy to your life, what ye shall eat; nor to your body, with what ye shall be clothed. Whether life is not more than meat, and the body more than the cloth?
For why each man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his travail; this is the gift of God.
Rich men were needy, and were hungry; but men that seek the Lord shall not fail of all good.
To victory, over Jeduthun, the psalm of David. Whether my soul shall not be subject to God; for mine health is of him.Do not ye have hope in wicked-ness, and do not ye covet ravens; if riches be plenteous, do not ye set the heart thereto.God spake once, I heard these two things; that power is of God,and, thou Lord, mercy is to thee; for thou shalt yield to each man by his works.For why he is both my God, and mine health; mine up-taker, I shall no more be moved.
But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, long abiding, benignity, [or good will], goodness, mildness, faith,temperance, continence, chastity; against such things is no law.
Better is a little with the dread of the Lord, than many treasures and unfillable.It is better to be called to worts with charity, than with hatred to a calf made fat.
But we having foods, and with what things we shall be covered [or clothed], be we satisfied with these things.
Dread of the Lord leadeth to life; and he that dreadeth God shall dwell in plenty, without visiting of the worst or without full evil visiting.
Therefore, brethren, I beseech you by the mercy of God, that ye give your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, and your service reasonable.loving together the charity of brotherhood. Each come before to worship other [or Coming before together in honour];not slow in busyness, fervent in spirit, serving to the Lord,joying in hope, patient in tribulation, busy in prayer,giving good to the needs of saints, keeping hospitality.Bless ye men that pursue you; bless ye, and do not ye curse;for to joy with men that joy, for to weep with men that weep.Feel ye the same thing together; not understanding, [or savouring, or cunning], high things, but consenting to meek things, [following meek fathers]. Do not ye be prudent with yourselves;to no man yielding evil for evil, but purvey ye good things, not only before God, but also before all men.If it may be done, that that is of you, have ye peace with all men.Ye most dear brethren, not defending, [or avenging], yourselves, but give ye place to wrath [or ire]; for it is written, The Lord saith, To me vengeance, and I shall yield.And do not ye be conformed to this world, but be ye reformed in newness of your wit, that ye prove which is the will of God, good, and well pleasing, and perfect.
For why the realm of God is not meat and drink, but rightwiseness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
enter ye into his gates in acknowl-edging; enter ye into his porches, acknowledge ye to him in hymns. Praise ye his name,for the Lord is sweet, his mercy is without end; and his truth is in generation and into generation.
And we know, that to men that love God, all things work together into good, to them that after purpose be called saints.
And I knew that nothing was better to a man, but to be glad, and to do good works in his life.
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt [full-]fill me with gladness with thy cheer; delight-ings be in thy right half unto the end.
The eld [or old] error is gone away; thou shalt keep peace, peace, for thou, Lord, we hoped in thee.
And God of hope full-fill you in all joy and peace in believing, that ye increase [or abound] in hope and virtue of the Holy Ghost.
The blessing of the Lord maketh rich men; and torment shall not be fellowshipped to them.
Which also spared not his own Son, but betook him for us all, how also gave he not to us all things with him?
And they, that know thy name, have hope in thee; for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
in all things do ye thankings. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, in all you.
Make thou far from me vanity and words of leasing; give thou not to me begging and riches; but give thou only necessaries to my lifelode;lest peradventure I be full-filled, and be drawn to deny, and say, Who is the Lord? and lest I be compelled by neediness, and steal, and forswear the name of my God.
And God is mighty to make all grace abound in you, that ye in all things evermore have all sufficience, and abound into all good work;
evermore doing thankings for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God and to the Father.
Therefore whether ye eat, or drink, or do any other thing, do ye all things to the glory of God.
All ye that travail, and be charged, come to me, and I shall fulfill [or shall refresh] you.Take ye my yoke on you, and learn ye of me, for I am mild and meek in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls.and said to him, Art thou he that shall come, or we abide another?For my yoke is soft [or sweet], and my charge is light [or easy].
that ye do thankings to God and to the Father [or doing thankings to God the Father], which made you worthy into the part of heritage of holy men in light.
be thou subject to the Lord, and pray thou him. Do not thou pursue [or follow] him, that hath prosperity in his way; nor a man doing unright-fulness.
For God loveth mercy and truth; the Lord shall give grace and glory. He shall not deprive them from goods, that go in innocence;
Lo! God is my saviour, I shall do faithfully, and I shall not dread. For why the Lord is my strength and my praising, and he is made to me into health.
My soul, why art thou sorry; and why troublest thou me? Hope thou in God, for yet I shall acknowledge to him; he is the health of my cheer, and my God.
whose end is death, whose god is the womb, and the glory in [the] confusion of them, that savour [or that understand] earthly things.
Who deemeth thee? And what hast thou, that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received, what gloriest thou, as thou haddest not received?
For why though I shall go in the midst of shadow of death; I shall not dread evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff; those have comforted me.
Therefore I bound for the Lord beseech you, that ye walk worthily in the calling, in which ye be called,He it is that came down, and that ascended [or went up] on all heavens, that he should fill all things.And he gave some apostles, some prophets, others evangelists, others shepherds and teachers,to the full ending of saints, into the work of ministry, into [the] edification of Christ’s body,till we run all, into [or in] unity of faith and of knowing of God’s Son, into a perfect man, after the measure of the age of the plenty of Christ;that we be not now little children, moving as waves, and be not borne about with each wind of teaching, in the waywardness of men, in subtle wit, to the deceiving of error.But do we truth in charity, and wax in him by all things, that is Christ our head;of whom all the body set together, and bound together by each jointure of under-serving, by working into the measure of each member, maketh increasing of the body, into [the] edification of itself in charity.Therefore I say and witness this thing in the Lord, that ye walk not now, as heathen men walk, in the vanity of their wit;that have understanding darkened with darknesses, and be alienated [or made far] from the life of God, by ignorance that is in them, for the blindness of their heart.Which despairing betook them-selves to unchastity, into the working of all uncleanness in covetousness.with all meekness and mildness, with patience supporting each other in charity,But ye have not so learned Christ,if nevertheless ye heard him, and be taught in him, as is truth in Jesus.Do ye away by the old living [or after the first living], the old man, that is corrupt by the desires of error;and be ye renewed [or made new again] in the spirit of your soul;and clothe ye the new man, which is made after God in rightwiseness and holiness of truth.For which thing put ye away leasing, and speak ye truth each man with his neighbour, for we be members each to other [or together].Be ye wroth, and do not do sin [or do not ye sin]; the sun fall not down on your wrath.Do not ye give stead to the devil.He that stole, now steal he not; but more rather travail he in working with his hands that that is good, that he have whereof he shall give to the needy.Each evil word go not out of your mouth; but if any is good to the edification of faith, that it give grace to men that hear.busy to keep unity of Spirit in the bond of peace.
But they that hope in the Lord, shall change strength, they shall take feathers as eagles; they shall run, and shall not travail; they shall go, and shall not fail.
For patience is needful to you, that ye do the will of God, and bring again the promise.
Give ye attention, and see ye, that I am God; I shall be enhanced among heathen men; and I shall be enhanced in earth.
And not this only, but also we glory in tribulations, witting that tribulation worketh patience,and patience proving, and proving hope.And hope confoundeth not, for the charity of God is spread abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, that is given to us.
And he said to me, My grace sufficeth to thee; for virtue is perfectly made in infirmity. Therefore gladly I shall glory in mine infirmities, that the virtue of Christ dwell in me.
A full strong tower is the name of the Lord; a just [or rightwise] man runneth to him, and [he] shall be enhanced.
He shall say to the Lord, Thou art mine up-taker, and my refuge; my God, I shall hope in him.
Therefore seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his rightwiseness, and all these things shall be cast to you.
And [the] knights asked him, and said, What shall also we do? And he said to them, Smite ye wrongfully no man, neither make ye false challenge, and be ye satisfied with your wages.
And do ye all things without grutchings, and doubtings;that ye be without complaint, and simple as the sons of God, without reproof, in the middle of a shrewd nation and a wayward; among which ye shine as givers of light in the world.
I do thankings to him, that comforted me in Christ Jesus our Lord, for he guessed me faithful, and put me in ministry,
Lord, blessed be they that dwell in thine house; they shall praise thee into the worlds of worlds.
and take keep, [or and give work, or busyness], that ye be quiet; and that ye do your need, and that ye work with your [own] hands, as we have commanded to you;
But ye be a chosen kin [or ye be a kind chosen], a kingly priesthood, holy folk, a people of purchasing, that ye tell the virtues of him, that called you from darknesses into his wonderful light.
Lord, the eyes of all beasts hope in thee; and thou givest the meat of them in covenable time.Thou openest thine hand; and thou [ful] fillest each beast with blessing.
Forsooth hills [or mountains] shall be moved together, and little hills shall tremble together; but my mercy shall not go away from thee, and the bond of my peace shall not be moved, saith the merciful doer, the Lord.
How all things of his god-like virtue, that be to life and piety, be given to us, by the knowing of him, that called us for his own glory and virtue.By whom he gave to us most precious promises; that by these things ye shall be made fellows of God’s kind, and flee the corruption of that covetousness, that is in the world.
And the peace of Christ enjoy in your hearts, in which ye be called in one body, and be ye kind.
The psalm of Asaph. God of Israel is full good; to them that be of rightful [or right] heart.
And to each man, to whom God gave riches, and chattel [or substance], and gave power to him to eat of those, and to use his part, and to be glad of his travail; this is the gift of God.
And they that be of Christ, have crucified their flesh with vices and covetings [or concupiscences].
Do not ye treasure to you treasures [here] in earth, where rust and moth destroyeth, and where thieves delve out, and steal;Therefore when thou doest alms, do not thou trumpet before thee, as hypocrites do in synagogues and streets, that they be worshipped of men; soothly I say to you, they have received their meed.but gather ye to you treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth destroyeth, and where thieves delve not out, nor steal.For where thy treasure is, there also thine heart is.
But I thank God, that ye were servants of sin; but ye have obeyed of heart into that form of teaching, in which ye be betaken.And ye delivered from sin, be made servants of rightwiseness.
Nevertheless, my soul, be thou subject to God; for my patience is of him.For he is my God, and my saviour; mine helper, I shall not pass out.
Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that hath blessed us in all spiritual blessing in heavenly things in Christ,
Alleluia. Blessed is the man that dreadeth the Lord; he shall delight full much in his commandments.
See ye what manner charity the Father gave to us, that we be named the sons of God, and be his sons. For this thing the world knew not us, for it knew not him.
That my glory sing to thee, and I be not compunct; my Lord God, I shall acknowledge to thee without end.
Many beatings be of the sinner; but mercy shall encompass him that hopeth in the Lord.Ye just [or rightwise] men, be glad, and make fully joy in the Lord; and all ye rightful of heart, have glory.
as thou, God, hast multiplied thy mercy. But the sons of men shall hope in the covering of thy wings.
when thou sheddest [or shalt pour] out thy soul, either thy will, to an hungry man, and [ful] fillest a soul that is tormented, thy light shall rise in darknesses, and thy darknesses shall be as midday.
Therefore we, justified of faith, have we peace at God by our Lord Jesus Christ.For if when we were enemies, we be reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more we reconciled shall be safe in the life of him.And not only this, but also we glory in God, by our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received now reconciling.Therefore as by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death, and so death passed forth into all men, in which man all men sinned.For unto the law sin was in the world; but sin was not reckoned, when [the] law was not.But death reigned from Adam unto Moses, also into them that sinned not in likeness of the trespassing of Adam, the which is likeness of Christ to coming [or to come].But not as [the] guilt [or the trespass], so the gift; for if through the guilt [or the trespass] of one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift in the grace of one man Jesus Christ hath abounded into many men.And not as by one sin, so by the gift; for the doom, of one into condemnation, but the grace of many guilts [or trespassings] into justification.For if in the guilt of one death reigned through one, much more men that take plenty of grace, and of giving, and of rightwiseness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ.Therefore as by the guilt of one into all men into condemnation, so by the rightwiseness of one into all men into justifying of life.For as by unobedience of one man many be made sinners, so by the obedience of one many shall be [ordained] just.By whom we have nigh going to [or access], by faith into this grace, in which we stand, and have glory in the hope of the glory of God’s children.
Whom when ye have not seen, ye love; into whom also now ye not seeing, believe; but ye that believe shall have joy, and gladness that may not be told out, and ye shall be glorified,
For which thing we fail not, for though our outer man be corrupted; nevertheless the inner man is renewed from day to day.
Ask ye, and it shall be given to you; seek ye, and ye shall find; knock ye, and it shall be opened to you.For each that asketh, taketh; and he that seeketh, findeth; and it shall be opened to him, that knocketh.
But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, long abiding, benignity, [or good will], goodness, mildness, faith,
Be ye nothing busy, but in all prayer and beseeching, with doing of thankings, be your askings known at God.And the peace of God, that passeth all wit, keep your hearts and understandings in Christ Jesus.
The eld [or old] error is gone away; thou shalt keep peace, peace, for thou, Lord, we hoped in thee.Ye have hoped in the Lord, in everlasting worlds, in the Lord God, strong without end.
The song of degrees. They that trust in the Lord be as the hill of Zion; he shall not be moved without end, that dwelleth in Jerusalem.
Evermore joy ye;without ceasing pray ye;in all things do ye thankings. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, in all you.