“I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be
content.”
— Philippians 4:11

These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of
man. “Ill weeds grow apace.” Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring
are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow
thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are
indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they
complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of
the earth must be cultivated. If we would have wheat, we must plough
and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the
gardener’s care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and
if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by
nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then
we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and
cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. Paul says, “I have
learned … to be content;” as much as to say, he did not know how at
one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great
truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke
down. And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, “I have
learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” he was an
old, grey-headed man, upon the borders of the grave-a poor prisoner
shut up in Nero’s dungeon at Rome. We might well be willing to endure
Paul’s infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too
might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the
notion that you can be contented with learning, or learn without
discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a
science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience.
Brother, hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a
diligent pupil in the College of Content.

On this day...

• Genesis 19 - 2024
• Genesis 18 - 2024
• April 16, 2014 - 2014
• Psalm 20:6 - 2011
• Psalm 3:3 - 2011
• Psalm 4:8 - 2011
• Psalm 4:5 - 2011
• Psalm 4:3 - 2011
• Jude 1:22-23 - 2011
• Jude 1:20-21 - 2011