How would you like to have a simple way to improve your happiness in life in a lasting and noticeable way—regardless of your bank balance, state of health, or the general situation in your surroundings?
Gratitude and contentment are precisely this path—like the two wings of a bird. Gratitude lifts your heart and lets it rejoice in God’s presence, while contentment keeps it at this blessed level. Living both consistently not only grants our lives more serenity in everyday life but also leads to a deeper relationship with God.
This attitude is much more than just a nice addition to our Christian profession. It is a treasure that brings unlimited blessings in every situation in life—in abundance as well as in crises—and shapes and refines our character.
Ingratitude and Discontentment
Some of us tend to be quite sparing with our thanks but very generous with our criticism. From there, it is only a short distance to ingratitude and constant discontentment – and we do not even notice the poisonous effect of our attitude. (Travel through the world with your eyes open, and you will realize that many things at home are actually quite good.) Paul describes how people, although they knew God, neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him but fell into futile thinking (Romans 1:21). The moment we forget God’s goodness, spiritual desolation begins: our hope crumbles, and our faith withers away.
Ingratitude and discontentment harm us. Chronic dissatisfaction makes us ill and weakens our immune system. Bitterness poisons our relationships. Being ungrateful is not only a character flaw, but also implies that we believe God, our Creator, is failing to provide for us adequately. Ingratitude leads us to idolatry: we seek substitute gods when we doubt God’s goodness. Today, these are called, for example, career, image, self-realization, and wellness.
What becomes of our faith when our hearts are increasingly filled with ingratitude and discontentment? Israel grumbled against God even though He provided them with manna at their doorstep. The ungrateful person spurns the gift and despises the giver. The grateful person sees the giver, not the gift. That is why it says: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This triad preserves our faith: joy in God protects us from resigned fatalism, prayer keeps us close to and dependent on God, and gratitude protects us from doubting God’s faithfulness and goodness.
Gratitude
In light of God’s undeserved grace, how can we feel anything other than deep gratitude? Paul writes: “For by grace you have been saved…not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Isn’t this completely contrary to our performance-oriented society? We are trained to believe that our value is measured by our success. But the gospel gives us value apart from any achievement. With deep gratitude, we bow before the miracle of this grace.
When we practice seeing all of God’s manifestations of grace with open eyes, it becomes our way of life. Even when we feel inadequate, or perhaps even guilty, we can take refuge in the merciful arms of our Father. Our hearts learn to value God’s faithfulness and mercy more than our own efforts. His love is stronger than our weakness and mistakes. We learn to love Psalm 103.
Contentment
In a Roman prison, Paul wrote these astonishing lines: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11,13). This contentment is not resignation, but the quiet certainty that Christ is enough. Our Lord has promised us: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Wealth should therefore not be defined by possessions, but by God’s presence.
Gratitude responds to the blessings and gifts we receive, but contentment remains even when what we ask for does not come. Both attitudes are based on the knowledge of God’s faithfulness. Paul learned this—he was a man just like us. When we look at his story, it seems as if he was very determined, perhaps even impatient. Through him, we understand that contentment is not a gift that suddenly changes us. Rather, we need to practice it and make it a habit.
Have you ever considered that you can practice contentment and sufficiency? The spirit of the times encourages us to always want more—higher, farther, richer. We have learned to constantly compare ourselves, to base our desires on what others have. Practice contentment by consciously choosing to practice restraint. Avoid consumption, new purchases, the new look, the latest model. Sometimes a repair is better than a new purchase.
In prayer and practical life
Jesus gave thanks to the Father before multiplying the loaves (John 6:11). Do you know the recipe for prayer in times of great need? When the need is overwhelming, there is no way out, and no help is in sight, then stop asking in your prayers. Even if you don’t feel like it, even if it takes strength and effort—make no requests or complaints, but only and exclusively focus on thanksgiving! Thank God for everything that is worthy of thanks. But don’t stop there. Move on to the things you take for granted and the ordinary things you have become accustomed to—and thank God for them with all your heart! Victory begins when you quietly and tentatively start to give thanks for the path of depth, humiliation, pain, and burden. God hears you and gives your soul great strength (Psalm 138:3).
Do you have a list of all the reasons you should be thankful? When you are in darkness and pain, this list can help you give thanks from the bottom of your heart—and triumph.
Is contentment possible without gratitude? Biblical contentment grows out of gratitude because it recognizes God as the source of all good things.
In Paul’s life, many things turned out quite differently than he had hoped. He may have prayed long and hard for some things, but God did not grant them to him. And it was precisely in this that he learned grateful contentment—the fruit of a heart that rests in God’s wisdom and grace. He learned to let himself be guided entirely by God’s will and to be content—whether in wealth or poverty, honor or contempt, success or loneliness – and whether God answered his prayer immediately or remained silent. This made him all the more grateful for every answered prayer (Philippians 2:27).
Final thoughts
Gratitude purifies, and contentment anchors our soul. This is how God equips us for the next storm, the next crisis. Be thankful for these times too, because they give us the opportunity to test ourselves. Practice giving thanks by thanking God every evening for three instances of blessing that day. God guides you in His wisdom and gives you everything you truly need.
Hermann Vogt
Gifhorn, Germany
Be the first to comment