So, at church the other day, not Easter, my pastor was speaking on contentment and what it means to be content in the words of Paul. It was a very interesting concept that I had never thought of before. The verses we were going over for this were Philippians 10-14 which state [b]10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 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. 13 I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.[/b] Philippians 4:10 was written because Paul had created the church, but lost touch with them, and finally got back into touch with them while he was in prison in Rome. And in Philippians 4:11-12, Paul had learned control. He learned that in life, people need to press on and be content, but contentment is Life with God and peace with God. Content - With Jesus we have all we need to be "content." Contentment can not be found chasing after "IT," so in essence, we need to forget about "IT." In 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, generosity came out of poverty, which happened when the church of Philippi sent Paul a gift while he was in prison in Rome. However, back to Philippians 4, verse 13. [b]13 I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.[/b] Don't get me wrong, this is an excellent verse, but I do not believe people take it as the fact that Paul is speaking in terms of being content no matter what was going on in his life. And for most people, contentment will only be found when they have experienced both ends of the spectrum. And in the terms of gratefulness and contentment, they go hand in hand. 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, and how the church of Philippi gives to Paul in Philippians 4:10-13, show that a person should be generous no matter how much they have. A tad bit extra, Philippians 4:19 [b]And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.[/b] God will meet ALL needs, and most wants, but He will do so because of what His son, Jesus, did for us on the cross. Life, including friends, family and our bodies, are a gift from God. No one is perfect.

I kind of got a bit lost with what you wrote and how things linked together but here are my thoughts... I disagree with your statement that contentment is life with God and peace with God. It makes it sound (and maybe it's just the way that it's worded) that you are automatically content and at peace when you have life with God. Are there not examples in the Bible where men were with God and yet not content? Do you think that there are things people should never be content with? Because content doesn't only refer to the things of this world, but also things of God. Personally, I believe that people can in fact be content without experiencing both ends of the spectrum as you put it. However, this is the way that most people learn how to be content and what they are content about.

[b]keyseya wrote:[/b] [quote]I disagree with your statement that contentment is life with God and peace with God.[/quote] Well, technically speaking, if God is all you want, all you need, all you desire, then when you have Him, you are content. As the psalmist wrote (my paraphrase): Who do I have in heaven but You? And there is nothing I desire on earth beside You. Though my heart and my flesh may fail, You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Ultimate contentment.

I'm going to gracefully bow out of this. I have once again shown how I stink at expressing what I mean.