When was the last time you gave thanks

Post author:Jacqueline
Post published:May 3, 2021
Post category:My Thoughts

When was the last time you thought to yourself, I truly have all that I need, and well, yes, I want more, but while I desire more, I am content.

The Bible says:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:6-12

It’s not to sit back and accept our circumstances as they are, but, at the same time, why do we get involved in a rat race? We are always wanting something else and not recognizing how much we have in the moment. Do we stop and say— ”do I need this thing, or is it because of something else. Am I looking at what others have and desiring the same? And if that is what we are doing, then we need to stop and take stock, and we need to look around us and see all that we have.

It is important to appreciate the things that we have now while we aspire to greater and higher levels. The question is, at what cost is our aspiration? Is there anything we may neglect? Joy, our children, family, or are we neglecting Christ who must be the first place in our lives. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33, Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

As Christians, that is a promise, and a mandate, and gives us a way to get all that we desire. But we need to have a perspective about how we go after the things that we want.

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER! This quote probably will seem like an anomaly here, but let us think about it this way. The Bible has everything we need to live our lives in a wholesome and happy way; and a way that can apply to our everyday experiences. It is a simple, clear-cut promise, that if strived towards, will make our life easier.

And so, as we go after “things”, we must ensure that it is not at the cost of our salvation. When we run after the things of the world and are not clear about why then it just might be a distraction from what should be the first place in our lives—God.

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
Matthew 6:24

So if we go after the things of this world (money) and not the things of God, we are in trouble. The other thing we must understand is—multitasking is ineffective. So while we may think we know what we are doing and try to focus on many things at once, we will not succeed. It is like being a jack of all trades but master of none. The point is—if we are always in the mode of wanting more and forsake all that we have, we are in trouble. And so I encourage all of us to see all that we have around us and appreciate all we have around us.