Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5:5

5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

Wow, aren't these words profoundly true!

This is from The Message paraphrase. JKV & Young's literal both translate the verse to say more along the lines of the meek are blessed and shall inherit the earth. New living translation states it as the humble are blessed. I guess who is more meek or humble than someone who is content with who they are and neither tries to be more or less.

This really gets to me personally because I want so much to be like this, but to be totally candid, am not. I frequently find myself wishing I were different than I am vrs being content. Do I even know what content really means?! Websters defines the adjective content like this:
S: (adj) contented, content (satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are) "a contented smile"

Since this is a subject of contentment with oneself is one upon which I have little to no experience, I figured I'd see what a couple of classic commentators had to say about this verse:

1. Matthew Henry- "The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in this world. " I like that phrase that they "keep possession of their own souls". Isn't easy to lose possession of or souls in this world? To give our minds and hearts over to a myriad of things that come our way?
2. John Gill - "Verse 5. Blessed are the meek,.... Who are not easily provoked to anger; who patiently bear, and put up with injuries and affronts; carry themselves courteously, and affably to all; have the meanest thoughts of themselves, and the best of others; do not envy the gifts and graces of other men; are willing to be instructed and admonished, by the meanest of the saints; quietly submit to the will of God, in adverse dispensations of providence; and ascribe all they have, and are, to the grace of God. Meekness, or humility, is very valuable and commendable. " I laughed when I read the phrase above "willing to be instructed and admonished by the meanest of saints"! Don't we all know that there are those who are unkind and critical among our breathern?! However, that doesn't mean that their critiques of me aren't accurate or that I can't benefit from pondering their criticisms and asking the Holy Spirit to show me if they're correct and to forgive me my sin and empower me to change.

You know, so much of life is a choice. I hope that in today I will choose contentment.