Do you ever find that it’s difficult to be consistently grateful? I do. It’s easy to be thankful around Thanksgiving. Many people even take the month of November and list something they are grateful for each day on Facebook. I love it!
But as soon as the Thanksgiving feast is finished something strange begins to happen. A strong desire to buy the only newspaper you’ll buy all year starts growing. It’s the one with the Black Friday deals. I know, I know…you do your shopping online and avoid the crowds.
Here is why it’s strange to me…Why do we feel the need to fill our shopping carts (and homes) with more stuff?
Just a few hours ago we spent the entire day celebrating how blessed we are. We had a feast with more leftovers than most people (globally) eat in a week.
This isn’t an article to make you feel guilty about how we are in the top 1% of the world’s wealthiest. Instead it’s a post on why that simple fact doesn’t make us the most insanely grateful people on the planet every day.
Have you ever thought about that strange reality?
We already have what billions would consider heaven on earth and yet we feel like we are living in purgatory.
Sometimes my sweet kiddos will ask for something and I’ll have to say “no.” It’s not often, but when I do and they really want it they will leverage how “everyone” has it.
My response is always the same…
There will always be people who have more than you, and there will always be people who have less than you. Which way you choose to focus determines your happiness.
As adults I think we forget this or maybe we were never taught it.
Someone will always have more than you. Get used to it. Get comfortable with it. Because when your pie has to be as big as theirs you’ll grow discontent, envious, judgmental, and greedy.
For example…
Your “new-to-you” car just doesn’t seem so awesome now that you sat in your friend’s legit brand new car.
We’re happy for our friend if they got a new house…just as long as it didn’t cost more than ours. When it does we grow envious and judgmental.
The drive to get what they got makes us greedy. We can’t possibly be generous because we need the cash to get to the next level…
The next level of discontentment, envy, judgmentalism, and greed.
When you look up the economic ladder you’ll never experience thanksgiving because someone will always have more than you.
Believing the next level will make you happy is a myth. People waste decades before they realize this truth.
On the other hand when you look down the economic ladder your perspective changes.
Someone will always have less than you. No matter how bad you think you have it, it can always get worse. Your “new-to-you” car feels a little too nice as you drive by people waiting at the bus stop…in the rain. Your home is a dream home to the renters a few doors down. And generosity isn’t so hard when you stop and think about all the blessings you’ve received.
Contentment, gratitude, happiness, and generosity originate from your current perspective. They aren’t waiting for you in some future next level.
If you don’t have them now, you certainly won’t have them when you get to the next level. You’re chasing a mirage. Your perspective keeps adjusting to see the person who has just a little more.
There is a fine line between comparison and gaining perspective. Comparison causes us to feel better at someone else’s expense. Perspective causes us to see how much we really have to be thankful for.
I recently read about a study the State University of New York at Buffalo did. They asked participants to finish the sentence: “I’m glad I’m not a _______.” Another group was asked to finish a different sentence: “I wish I were a _______.” I bet you can guess which group was significantly happier.
So as we leave the day of gratitude and enter the season of “I want.” Remember that there will always be people with more than you and there will always be people with less than you. Which way you choose to focus will determine your happiness…and level of thankfulness.
- Why do you think God wants us to express our thanks after asking Him for what we need?
- Why does God’s peace follow a time of giving thanks?
- What do you think God’s peace is guarding your heart from?
