The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… Psalm 23:1
The Problem With Gratefulness
I had a hard time applying the habit of gratefulness for the longest time. I understand how people say gratefulness is the only way you can ever be happy in life, and gratefulness is good and healthy for the soul. But subconsciously, I resisted the idea of it.
I had always believed that not being satisfied with things works as internal fuel for growth. It might not be a coincidence that this philosophy reminisces Asian style parenting. Maybe it was due to the way I was brought up, but I truly believed to propagate growth in academic, career and other personal aspects of life, you should never be satisfied in how things are, there should always be a sense of continuous striving, a sense of ‘never good enough’.
This reminds me of a line from the movie Wall Street (1987), when the lead character Gordon Gekko (played by Michael Douglas), promoted the virtues of greed. I recoiled on my seat when I watched Gekko’s scene, my Christian background has taught me to abhor greed. Yet I am seeing now how Gekko’s detestable views on greed are shamefully parallel with my old personal views.
Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. ~ Gordon Gekko
I had also believed that we need to use the “scientific” approach when assessing things and situations. What it means is we should be objective when determining or proving if something is relatively good or bad (subjectivity makes your assessment invalid). But how can you be objective when you are evaluating people’s life situations? There is no normalized standard. The only way you can somewhat measure and get some type of a reading is by comparing and benchmarking with others. This, of course, would never lead to anywhere good. Dissatisfaction and discontentment would almost always surface.
Needless to say, all of you can probably guess how dry and miserable my inner thought life was. Yet I stubbornly continued with these patterns of thinking because I was afraid that I would settle for a mediocre life and I also didn’t want to be ignorantly happy while my situation in reality was not “objectively” good. Can you see the thread of pride seamlessly stitching and patching my patterns of thinking?
I held these destructive ways of thinking for so many years. I thought I was holding on to some precious wisdom, but in actuality, they are just another primitive form of human arrogance. I thought by assessing things “objectively” and by relentlessly pursuing a better version of things, I can somewhat design and control the variables in my life to achieve the best possible outcome.
Human pride and lack of contentment had imbued my world. I used to cherish those traits because I thought they would give me the necessary fuel to survive and thrive in this world. No wonder gratefulness was such a vague notion in my mind. But as I understand God’s heart more, I am increasingly overwhelmed by the shallowness and the finitude of my life approach.
Put Off the Old and Put On the New!
If I want to live the rich and abundant life in Christ, I need to accept new godly and biblical perspectives, instead of trying to be scientifically and critically “objective“. I also need to assume new value and reward systems from temporal to eternal.
As a new creation in Christ, I need to continuously put off my old ways behind me and put on new ways. The following list are some wrong and harmful ways of thinking that I have subconsciously subscribed to. I need to confront the false with the truth, and God’s word holds the transformative power to help me change.
Put off: Fear of missing out on good things in life.
Put on: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:24-26). If you who are wicked, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11).
Put off: I need to plan well to secure a good future.
Put on: Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:34). We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-17, similar theme in Luke 12:16-21 The Parable of the Rich Fool).
Put off: If I am focused and determined enough, I can design and engineer my life in the best possible way.
Put on: Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:12). The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts (1 Samuel 2:7). Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17).
Put off: Attaining a certain level of (worldly) success will bring about life satisfaction.
Put on: His eyes are never satisfied with riches… This also is vanity and an unhappy business (Ecclesiastes 4:8). Whoever loves money never has enough, whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
Put off: It’s perfectly legitimate to expect and have the best of both worlds, this world and the world to come.
Put on: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2). Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God (James 4:4)? Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them (1 John 2:15). No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24).
Put off: It is of the utmost importance for my family and me to make it in this world.
Put on: What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (Mark 8:36). Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and our life on earth is a mere breath (Psalm 39:4-6). For all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall (1 Peter 1:24).
Put off: More good (worldly) things are always better. I have what it takes (self-control and wisdom) to manage them well, and I will not fall into ruins and temptations like other people.
Put on: Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people 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 (1 Timothy 6:9-10).The greedy bring ruin to their households (Proverbs 15:27).
Put off: Contentment will not bring in any rewards for the future.
Put on: Our confidence in our future in Him will be richly rewarded (Hebrews 10:35). Godliness with contentment is a great gain (1 Timothy 6:6). For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God (Ephesians 5:5).
God’s Continuous Renewal Work
As I abide more in God’s word and His presence, the Holy Spirit is slowly internalizing these new godly perspectives in me. Gratefulness becomes intuitive and automatic, bursting and overflowing from a new wellspring inside. It is gradually becoming a new natural state. Without gratefulness, our character suffers, and our fellowship with God and fellow men are afflicted.
There is no one standard of living for everyone, but there is a standard of heart attitudes God expects from all of His children which are trust in Him as the Father who provides, obedience to His commandments, gratefulness and joy in Him. God uses people from every level of society, and all of us are united in His big purpose. But each person’s effectiveness for the Kingdom depends on how firm and secure the lordship of Christ is in their heart.
God knows what is best for us more than ourselves. God loves us more than we love ourselves. Only He can give the right gifts, gifts that matter, gifts that we actually need. Let us focus on these eternal, bedrock truths. Our focus clarifies, crystallizes, and internalizes the utmost priorities of life. What we focus on determines the direction of our life.
Jesus says seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (the basic necessities of life) will be given to us as well (Matthew 6:33). The truth is, when we are already saturated with God, His Kingdom
As a new creation in Christ, we will have a new internal drive for progress. As our heart is softened by the Spirit, we start to perceive the magnitude of God’s love for us and His perfect plan for our future. Everything we do will naturally flow as a love offering for Him, done with gladness, fueled by gratefulness.
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Philippians 4:11)
I am also very blessed with another worship song by Keith & Kristyn Getty, the title is My Worth Is Not In What I Own. Hope you’ll enjoy it!
Leave a Reply