Freedom through Gratitude
'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.' James 1:17
'Godliness with contentment is great gain.' I Timothy 6:6
'I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.' Philippians 4:11-13
Picture in your minds eye for a moment an old fashioned leather money bag. Coins are being poured in to the bag, and as more and more coins are poured in, the bag grows and expands to meet the amount deposited. It also shrinks as less is added, or even taken away. It is never stretched, and never slack.
This picture is a helpful metaphor for blessing in our lives. God will bless us in many different ways, at different times. Really, how much blessing is received isn't the important thing, it's our attitude through circumstances. If our focus is on the blesser, on our Heavenly Father, rather than on the blessing, be that time, money, work, relationships etc, then we will be satisfied and our lives will naturally ADAPT to be content, like the money bag in the illustration.
If we focus too much on the blessing we may become 'stretched' or rigid, becoming proud and haughty, stressed and anxious about holding on to the blessing, which may eventually become a curse, a tear that damages our lives. Or we may become 'slack', we may get disappointed, despondent, deflated, self-pitying. Life can lose it's joy, and we may become frayed and lifeless.
God is our Father, the Father of heavenly lights, from whom every good and perfect gift comes. Yet gifts are primarily joy giving when they point us to the giver and we receive them with gratitude and contentment; gratitude is incredibly powerful. Godliness with contentment is great gain. God is a Father who blesses us with everything we need, at exactly the time we need the blessing. Yet the greatest blessing is knowing Him, no matter our circumstance. Knowing Him means we will have no problem adapting, because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, whether we have much or little. Knowing Him is the greatest blessing of all.