Until one is truly grateful for what he has, he will be hard pressed to receive what is truly good. Never being content with such things you have will lead to further discontentment. This attitude has robbed many of untold riches. Chief among them is having an intimate relationship with God. Love compelled God to send Jesus, which opened the door to our Exceeding Great Reward. Genesis 15:1 . . . âI am thy shield, and thy Exceeding Great Reward.â People murmur and complain about what they donât have, while discounting or overlooking what they already possess. Apparently, Jesus is not enough. âIâm not like that!â No judgment here, but consider the following questions.
Have you ever been disappointed with God? Did He fail to perform to your expectations? Do you feel like Heâs holding something back from you? Were you disappointed by any gift He gave to you? You know, âIt wasnât quite what I had in mind.â
Letâs focus on some practical issues. How many complain about the food they had a restaurant?  Perhaps, the service wasnât up to par. Did you eat? Wait a minute, people have money to spend at a restaurant and are able to eat? Is that not being blessed? What about those who go hungry every day? For instance, in Haiti, children are fed dirt cookies just to fill their empty stomachs. Yes, they are made of literal dirt. What nutritional value can be found in plain dirt? âI canât afford to eat out.â True enough, it would be nice to be able to eat out and do extra things; nevertheless, more than likely you still eat actual food every day. This does not make light of your situation. Many who consider themselves poor and live in places like the U.S.A., are actually in the top one percent in the world economy. Consider this, in most cases people are not doomed to stay in their current circumstances. Sometimes, itâs a question of making quality decisions, which is another lesson. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation (behavior or character) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
The way a person receives a gift will often reveal what is in his or her heart. In some cases, it is not so much receive as it is take. They feel entitled to the gift, and scorn the giver if itâs ânot enoughâ or doesnât come soon enough. Where is the gratitude? Remember, God owes us nothing!  We owe Him everything; and yet, He constantly gives to us good gifts. Jesus and Holy Spirit are at the very top of the list.
James 1:16-17 Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Those who lack gratitude have a difficult time giving, especially with no strings attached. Honestly, a gift with strings attached is not a gift; it is an object used for manipulation. The more grateful you are, the more able you will freely give. How many truly generous people do you know who are discontent?
