Philippians 4:11 – Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Hebrews 13:5 – Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

If we wished to gain contentment, we might try such rules as these:

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even of the weather. 
2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances in which thou art not. 
3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another. 
4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thyself. 
5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God’s, not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. “The Lord will provide.”

 E. B. PUSEY.

Contentment is something that we are not born with but it is learned over a lifetime. I think E. B. Pusey describes concisely how to stay content. Being covetous is the opposite of being content.  When you want more than what God has given you, you will soon be disgruntled with life.  Nothing will satisfy and you will become peevish and bitter about almost everything.  

We first need to quit complaining about things, even the simple things of life that do not go our way.  Next our imagination is often a source of our discontentment.  When we start to wish and dream about money, power or prestige, we will quickly not be happy with where we are today.  

We should never compare ourselves among others.  God has a path for all of us.  Did not our Lord rebuke Peter when he started to worry more about John’s business rather than his own.  We each have good things and bad things in our lives.  Often you only see the good in others and the bad in yourself.  Why not see the good the Lord has given you and realize that others likely have it worse than you.  That will breed contentment.

You also need to make sure you never get into the “what if’s.”  When you start thinking what if this did not happen or this did happen, you are heading down a bad road.  You need to believe that God knows the beginning from the end.  He knew you would make a bad decision before you did it.  He then used you in spite of that decision. You should also never look into the future and borrow trouble. God knows the path you are taking.  When you trust he has your best interest at heart, you will by faith trust God to guide your future.  You will just let Him take control.

Being content will produce a silent Christian under the mighty hand of God.

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