?Righteousness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certainwe can carry nothing out? 1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NKJV)
Sometimes the most wonderful times of fellowship can be threatened by seeds of discontent being sowed over trivial matters. In any group, there is always one person who loves to question, challenge, or complain about what is happening, and often for the most insignificant reasons! From the weather, to the accommodation, to how long someone speaks for; the only predictable thing about such a person is that they will complain! Unfortunately, it is sometimes easy to end up being that person yourself! Without trying, you can slip from contentment to disgruntlement. When the apostle Paul did actually have something to complain about ? he was in prison ? instead he chose to be positive: ?I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength? (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV). Contentment while in prison! It isn?t something that comes naturally; Paul said that he had to learn it. In a world which constantly encourages you to satisfy your own desires first, and to follow your own plans as a priority, Paul advises the opposite. The true reward, he explains, is found when you seek the kind of righteousness that produces contentment, and contentment brings Shalom. Search for the good in the situations that you are in today.