Want What You Have

Early on during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown, I noticed two different kinds of people emerge. There were those who were bitter, angry, and grumpy about all the things that they could not do or could not have. But then there was a second group who somehow seemed to thrive even though their lives had also been dramatically affected by the changes in our lives.

As I observed people’s responses, I wondered what made the difference when during a zoom call, a friend shared that she was learning to want what she had. That phrase struck me. She was content to stay at home and let others provide for her even though it meant that she was unable to go out and see her friends or do the things that she loved to do with others.

As I reflected on these verses today, that phrase came back to me once again. Am I so focused on what I don’t have that I am missing out on all that I already have? What would my life look like if I learned to actually want what I have?

How about you? Have you, like Paul, learned to be content in whatever circumstances you find yourself in? (Philippians 4:11-13). Can you honestly say that you want what you have? Which of the two groups of people who I've mentioned do you belong to?

Not sure how to get started? Contentment grows out of a thankful heart. Begin to cultivate that in your life today.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing faithfulness and goodness that you show to me in so many different ways every single day. Help me to in fact want the things I already have so that I might learn to be content in every way. Amen.

Go Deeper — Take time every day to thank God for at least three things that happened that day or things you already have. Learn to daily choose contentment and want what you already have.