"...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content"
Philippians 4:11
An abundance of satisfaction lies in the never-ending well of contentment. Daily, we may come to this well and draw out numberless blessings which we, as worms, do not deserve. As we draw from this well, we are reminded of our marvelous salvation, that brought man to God, and God to man. We, though enemies of all that is of God, were sought out by the Shepherd of love, lifted from the stooper of sin, and made heirs of glory. As we continue to draw, we notice all the tangible blessings God has never failed to provide. We are clothed with the robe of necessities and crowned with the crown of abundance, as hourly we have our needs met by the great I AM. This well of contentment, if owned by the saint, will never leave him unfulfilled. For when the catastrophes of life destroy all which the world deems as good, the beloved of God may always rest in this well. These dear saints can, with confidence and peace, say, "Thy will be done." For they are satisfied with whatever may proceed forth into their life. With sorrow, I say, many saints do not possess this wonderful well. The reason being, they have not dug it. This is a process that takes work, and labor is a necessary component for a well to be produced. Contentment takes diligent effort, for Paul himself said he had to learn in whatsoever state to be content. The question may be posed, how do we dig this well? How do we live content as Christians? I'm convinced this well of contentment is dug by the continuous attitude of gratitude and thankfulness. For a lack of contentment, is rooted in a lack of gratitude. If we ever thank God as the moments pass, the well will be dug. With satisfaction, we will face the storms of life with rest because hallelujah, we have all we need in Christ. Oh, saint of God, let us recall all we have as Christians. As we constantly consider the blessing of God, our mind will be cultivated to embrace life with gladness. Every trial will be seen through the lenses of contentment as we understand we deserve much worse. Let us not fail in this area of Christian living.
How must it hurt the heart of God for his children to be uncontent. Let us ponder how the heart of the Good Samaritan would have felt, if the man who had been wounded and beaten, and left to die, had felt he deserved even better treatment than that which he received. What if the care that was abundantly shown to this helpless man, wasn't enough in his mind? He received compassion in the highest form, having his wounds bound, and was given a place to recover at no expense of his own. How dreadfully sinful his mindset would have been had he felt he deserved more. My friend, how sinful is our uncontentment. Christ has bound our wounds, cleaned us up, gave us a place to stay at his own expense, yet we believe we need more! Oh, we were dying, but he rescued us. Do we need more than Jesus and his provisions ? I believe not. This very moment, let us repent of our ingratitude, and receive his forgiveness, that we might, as Paul, be content in every situation.