The Bone

Hebrews 13:5 – 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." (NIV)

My five-pound Yorkshire terrier, Sienna, made me laugh the other day when I glanced up and saw her struggling and staggering around the yard carrying a bone. The bone was meant for the large, outside dogs who weigh seventy to eighty pounds, and its mammoth size was too large for her to get even her little mouth around it properly to have the enjoyment of a good gnaw.

As I watched and contemplated this scene, it made me consider the importance of thankfulness: being thankful for what we have, instead of always wanting something bigger or better or different than what God has supplied. The danger of always wanting more than what we have is that a discontented spirit leads us away from God, not closer to Him. Why? Because regular discontentment with our lot eventually takes us along the paths of envy, self-pity, depression, discouragement, anger, hatred, and yes, for some people, even thievery or murder to get more of the things that we want or think that we should have.

On the other hand, a thankful spirit draws us closer to the Lord, for it produces joy, hope, encouragement, generosity, and inner peace — the very Spirit of the living Christ within us, which is indeed the best gift of all. Has He not promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us? With Christ within us, we do, indeed, have everything that we need to fill our lives with contentment and joy, whether we have much or little in regard to the things that this world offers.

So today, let us choose to consider carefully: discontentment or thankfulness? One's a burden, the other a gift.

Prayer: Father God, we thank You for Your wonderful gift of Jesus, Who is able to fill us up with all that is necessary for us to live joyful lives filled with inner peace and contentment amidst any and all situations. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.