I am telling you these things, but it is not because I need something. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens.
Then Jacob made a promise. He said, “If God will be with me, and if God will protect me on this trip, and if God gives me food to eat and clothes to wear,
I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Many times I have been without food. I have been cold and without clothes.
We have much sadness, but we are always rejoicing. We are poor, but we are making many people rich \{in faith\}. We have nothing, but really we have everything.
You know the grace (kindness) of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that Christ was rich \{with God\}, but for you he became poor. Christ did this so that you could become rich by his becoming poor.
Not only those things, but now I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I lost all those things \{I thought were important\}. And now I know that all those things are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ.
Yes, you helped those people in prison and shared in their suffering. And you were still happy when all the things you owned were taken away from you. You continued to be happy, because you knew that you had something much better—something that would continue forever.