Thankful

Thankful

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. Philippians 4:11-12

Being content is not easy in the world of professional football. It seems like every year everyone expects more and more. If a team has a winning season, they want to win more games the next year. When they feel they are getting better, they want to make the playoffs. If they make the playoffs, they want to reach the Super Bowl the following season. If they reach the Super Bowl, they want to go home with the Lombardi Trophy. If they reach the Super Bowl and win, well, they want back-to-back victories.

The same is true with our personal lives. If our spouses, children, houses, or bank accounts don’t fulfill all the dreams we’d hoped for, we feel empty, maybe even cheated, because society says that’s the way it works. We think that acquiring more and always replacing what we have with something bigger and better is the only way to find contentment. Don’t believe it.

Contentment is possible when you start with a grateful heart. Not a token sense of gratitude, but the realization that the Lord has blessed you with everything you need.

Notice the difference? The first approach says that something is missing in our lives and we need to get it. Maybe we don’t have a Super Bowl ring or a fat bank account. It’s tough to be content when all we can think of is what we imagine everyone else has and we don’t.

But the apostle Paul takes a different approach, expressing gratitude instead of complaining about personal deprivation. It’s an acquired attitude. But when we approach everything in our lives with an attitude of gratitude, it comes more naturally.

That’s where you and I will find contentment. Crazy, huh? Not at all.

Just as important, contentment is contagious. Think about those people that you surround yourself with and ask yourself, Are they always seeking more? Are they rubbing off on me?

Surround yourself with people who understand what it means to be content—and become one of those people for the good of those you influence.

Uncommon Key > The moment you size up what everyone else owns or has accomplished, often it’s only a short leap to feeling that you’ve been shortchanged. A contented life is achieved when you focus on what God has given you and thank Him for those blessings.