Contentment? Learned? All things?

I have been thinking on the topic of contentment lately as I can say that right now I am at a very content place in life. No doubt much of this is driven by the joy I am finding in having Ruthie, the fact that I love Jack's school situation, work is good, marriage is good, Sam makes me laugh everyday- Life is just good. But I don't think that when God talks about us being content in the Bible, that He means our contentment should be defined by our circumstances, like mine seems to be right now, but rather by a state of mind or a condition of your heart.

I am not a Biblical scholar so know that I may be wrong here, but this is what I see in God's word

Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

- The source of contentment here is not stuff or financial security, but a right relationship with Christ

Phillipians 4:11-13

¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I 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. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

-This is the verse I think of most when I think of contentment. I believe a key word here is learned. It is indeed a process and if contentment was found in our circumstances then there would be nothing to learn we would either just have it or not.

1 Timothy 6:6-7

⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

-Again here we see contentment linked to Godliness and not possessions

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

-Contentment found in the security of our relationship with Christ not in our finances

So today my boys both have a cold and they weren't able to go the beach with the neighbors. Jack spent most of the morning complaining about how boring our house is and that there is nothing to do. The child has his own bedroom and 2 playrooms full of toys but he is not content. He is never going to find contentment in his stuff and I will never be able to entertain that child enough. So how do I train my child in the way he should go? Here are some ideas I am coming up with and I would love to hear your insight too.

1. Model it for him.

I know my life is not going to stay this blissful for long and that the next challenge is just around the corner. My job is to model contentment during that time too and the only way to do that is to go to the biblical source of contentment which is Christ. If my contentment is truly found in Him, then my circumstances should not matter. I know it has to start with me. No doubt discontented adults raise discontented children.

2. Teach it to him

If contentment is learned as Paul says, then shouldn't you be able to teach it? Do you teach contentment by teaching your children about Christ? I don't think it can be that easy because there are a lot of discontented Christians out there. Any ideas?

3. Ok I am out of ideas.

For the record, I don't think contentment gives us license to be complacent. I don't think that is what scripture is saying here. I think it refers to our understanding of who God is and our right relationship to Him when it comes to our possessions and at times our God ordained situation.

Would love your input here.

Because it would be a crime to post without a picture of Ruthie, here is my girl puckering up to kiss us goodnight.