Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
- Philippians 4:11 NLT
Imagine for a moment it’s a very hot day. I offer you an icy, cold treat. In a large, chilled glass I begin pouring a frosty chocolate milkshake. But I stop pouring at the halfway point. I slide the glass towards you and offer you a straw. You’re quite pleased until you notice I still have more in my pitcher and you begin to wish I had filled your glass to the brim.
I often find myself thinking about the things I don’t have in my life—the things I long for—the things I wish I could change. Maybe you’re the same way. Perhaps there’s something you wish you could buy or maybe it’s a relationship or opportunity you yearn for. Maybe a circumstance you’d like transformed. We don’t have to try hard to find wishes. But focussing on what we don’t have leads to sadness and discontent—not the way we were meant to live.
What if we chose instead to look at what we do have—noticing and really appreciating the good things that are already present in our lives?
There’s nothing wrong with recognizing our needs and desires. When we do, we can bring them to God in prayer and ask him to supply what we lack. But leaving our requests in God’s hands and turning our thoughts to the good things we have right now builds a fulness of gratitude that leads to contentment and happiness. If I focus on my present abundance, I can fully enjoy that half-glass of frosty milkshake, with or without a straw.
CLOSING PRAYER
God, help me to focus on the fulness of all the good things in my life that are present in this moment and fill my heart with genuine thankfulness.