Contentment – Thankfulness

Contentment – Thankfulness

Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Philippians 4:6 No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6 NLT) Thankfulness is an attitude of the heart, not a reaction to circumstances. Developing an inner quality of thankfulness, an “Attitude of Gratitude” is key to non-circumstantial contentment! My friend Mike Sipe was having a conversation with his friend. The guy said he was complaining about his car (wanted a nicer one), his job (wanted a better-paying, less stressful one), his house (wanted a bigger one, in a better neighborhood) and God just stopped him, like “Hey! Knock it off! So what exactly is it that you need for today that you don’t have?” Contentment is not having what you want, it’s wanting what you have. It’s being thankful for what God has already done rather than spending all our energy wish-praying for more, or better, or different. Father, Thank you for my life! I noticed within the past few years (years that have had their share of pain and loss and joy and blessing) I’ve begun saying “I love my life!” And I do! My life has comfort and discomfort, challenges and blessings, pleasure and pain, and it’s far from perfect by some standards. In fact, I’m far from perfect by any standard except the standard of Grace! But I love my life! Will I be able to say that when things get really tough? Many of my friends have experienced pain and loss to such a much greater degree than I ever have. What if the very worst happens? Will I still be able to say, “Thank you for my life!”? Will I still say, “I love my life!?” I don’t know what the future holds, but I love my life now and I’m thankful for my life now and I’ll do my best to keep being thankful and loving my life! Here’s a two-minute clip from the movie Joe Versus The Volcano that reminds me to be Thankful!  Prayer: Father, Thank you for my (mostly) wonderful life! There’s nothing I need for today that you haven’t given me. I’m confident that you’ll provide what I need for tomorrow right on time. I love my life! I love where I am and who I’m with! Help my friends and me to be more thankful and grow more contented every day! For the Kingdom’s Sake!