Gratitude & Wealth

There are a couple of important dates for me this week.  First of all, its my anniversary (Love you, Baby!). The other is Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday. I'm not sure why that is, but who could argue with a day of family, food and football.  Honestly, though, I think it's the fact that Thanksgiving is just about that - thanksgiving.  There's not usually the hustle and bustle of a holiday like Christmas. Instead, it's just sitting back, reflecting and simply being grateful for what we have. 

We are reminded in Psalms 107, 118 and 136 to “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; his love endures forever.” I am glad that God is truly great and truly good. Paul encourages us on how to live together in Ephesians 5 by instructing us to “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (my bold). Even when we pray we are told in Philippians 4 to bring every detail of our needs to God “with thanksgiving.”

An attitude of gratitude is a good way to live.

That’s because there is a direct correlation between your level of gratitude and your level of happiness. Above a certain level of subsistence, there is no (or perhaps a negative) correlation between your level of net worth and your level of happiness. Luke reminds us that, “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Look at the people around you – wouldn’t you agree? There are secular confirmations from Maslow to the Harvard Business Review. The HBR had one of the best articles on compensation I’ve ever read. The article groups all the ways we try to inspire people in a workplace into “Intrinsic Motivators” and “Hygiene Factors”. Money was a hygiene factor, meaning it needed to be at an appropriate level but, beyond that level, it wasn’t effective at motivating people.

How wealthy are you? I encourage you, whatever you’re going through, to spend time with God everyday this week telling him what you’re thankful for.

LIVE THANKFULLY!