（腓立比書 Philippians 4:10-13）
中國有句老話，說，「知足常樂」。我們都希望快樂，但知足卻並不容易。
什麼才是足夠呢？有一個小孩子，面對一大堆糖果，但媽媽說拿一點就夠了，不要多取。那小孩子感到很為難，什麼才是夠了呢？他有一雙小手，兩個口袋。他抓滿了一隻小手，卻覺得不夠，又抓滿了另一隻手，還是覺得好像不夠，於是把兩隻手滿滿的糖果放在兩個口袋裡，再抓滿兩隻小手。當媽媽催著要離去時，小孩的眼睛還盯著那堆糖果，很不甘心的被媽媽拖著走了。那堆糖果帶給他的並不是快樂，而是不甘心和不足夠的痛苦。
保羅為什麼能夠說，「無論在什麼景況，都可以知足」呢？而且他從知足中獲得「大大的喜樂」。保羅說，他可以在富足中知足，也可以在貧乏中知足。他在第十三節告訴我們那個讓他知足的原因：在基督裡的滿足。
保羅因為常常在基督裡，所以他有力量去適應任何環境，並且把所有的環境都轉變成為他事奉主的機會。當他富足的時候，他有更多的資源去事奉主，並且可以向那些富有的人傳福音。當他貧窮的時候，他可以進入貧窮人當中，與他們經歷神，安慰他們，帶領他們認識基督。他的名聲很好的時候，他可以在權貴人中做見證；他被捕坐牢的時候，就向獄卒和犯人分享耶穌。保羅在任何環境中，都得著滿足和喜樂，因為他以耶穌基督為最大的滿足。
經文默想
你在生活中滿足的時候多，還是不滿足的時候多？你為什麼滿足，又為什麼不滿足？你如何評價保羅的「知足常樂」的人生？請細讀腓立比書4:10～13，並默想保羅的秘訣。
There is an old Chinese saying, “contentment gives you joy”. We all want to have joy, but it is not easy to be content.
How can a person be content? Once there was a child who was tempted by a big amount of candy, but his mom told him not to take more than he needed. The child felt very difficult for he did not know how much was enough. He had two little hands and two pockets. He grasped a handful of candy with one hand, but he did not feel it was enough. He grasped another handful of candy with the other hand. He did not want to stop for he still was not content with what he got, so he filled his two pockets full of the candy he grasped with his two little hands. He then grasped two more handfuls of candy with his hands again. When his mom told him that they had to leave, the child left the candies discontentedly. To this child candies did not give him any joy, but only discontent and pain.
How could Paul say he was satisfied with what he had? He also said that from this contentment he had great joy. Paul said that he was satisfied with too much as well as too little. Verse 13 tells us the reason of his contentment: the contentment in Christ.
The reason for Paul’s strength in facing all conditions, and transforming them into opportunities to serve the Lord, was his constant abiding in Christ. When he was rich, he had more resources to serve the Lord, and was able to reach out to the rich people. When he was poor, he could go to the poor to help them experience the presence of God in poverty and sadness. He could lead the poor to Christ. When he was highly esteemed he took the chance to witness to the nobilities and authorities. When he was arrested he preached to jailers and prisoners. Paul was content and had joy in all circumstances, because the joy he had in Christ had surpassed everything.
Meditation on the Scripture:
Do you have more joy in life or less? Why are you content? If you are not content, why are you not? How are you going to evaluate the contentment of Paul? Please read Philippians 4:10~13 carefully, and meditate on Paul’s secret.
