The Struggle with Contentment…Finding Gratitude

I recently resumed my Zumba class after taking a few weeks off for various schedule conflicts. I could tell the difference that my short sabbatical had on my endurance for vigorous exercise. I had trouble keeping up with the steps, was more tired when it was over, and my muscles complained the following day! It doesn’t take long for muscles to lose their memory. Without exercising, my muscles atrophy quickly. Even with a strong commitment to staying fit, I lose muscle mass due to aging. I encourage myself with the prevailing thought that in this area, the supernatural overcomes the natural. For my sometimes slack-minded natural self, it takes a supernatural commitment that without strength from God, I would frequently forgo the workout and read a book. This confrontation between these 2 forces is not confined to my exercise life. It manifests itself in many other ways in daily life.

Because this is Thanksgiving week, I approached this part in “The Struggle ” series about the difficulty of maintaining a grateful attitude. Whether I want to admit it or not, gratitude is a spiritual muscle that requires a commitment to first build-up and, second, exercise regularly. Gratitude is more than taking the time to say thank you. It is not an event but a lifestyle. It is a spiritual state of fitness. Gratitude is the expression of a contented thankful soul. When I look back at some of my more “unthankful periods” in life, I can see where I stopped using my grateful muscles and worked out my complaining ones a lot more. Sometimes so much that my gratitude muscle had atrophied to the point, it was barely palpable. I couldn’t find it. Instead, I had used and, yes, even flexed my discontented muscles so much they were like Popeye’s, bulging biceps after a can of spinach! When I did call on gratitude, it was weak, had poor endurance, and just like my Zumba workout, sometimes after being thankful. It made me sore. This soreness manifested itself in ways of resentment like: I am grateful for what I have. Still, how come others received more, or why didn’t this period of happiness last longer? The scriptures tell us that God loves a cheerful giver!” (2 Cor. 9:7) This includes thanksgiving and gratitude.

Paul testifies to us that because of his relationship with Christ, he had learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Philippians 4:12). The step from contentment to thanksgiving is short. However, moving to thanksgiving from discontentment can be a spiritual marathon. I read somewhere that a person shared that they complained about not having shoes until they met someone with no feet. Some things that helped me get to the root of discontentment were confronting materialism and comparison. First, How satisfied am I with what I already have in my life? Sharing and fellowshipping with folks in a 3rd world country was good medicine for materialism. I came across a woman scrubbing clothes on a washboard. She shared how thankful she was to have it. Before she had it, she couldn’t get her clothes clean. The act of scrubbing them on the board got the odor out.

Sometimes when I am ungrateful about laundry day, I pull up her picture on my phone, which refreshes my state of contentment and helps me flex my grateful muscles. If I never stop wanting more and don’t identify the forces that feed this spirit, I will never achieve contentment. Self-awareness of how commercials, magazine ads, pop-ups, and web surfing impact me is essential. I can be totally satisfied with my jeep wrangler until I sit inside a new one..Uh oh! Suddenly my beloved jeep doesn’t seem quite as nice. This is, as I remind myself, a first-world problem. Discerning the difference between a want and a need is crucial. Remember that Jesus promised us in the sermon on the mount that the Father knows what we need to survive, and He will provide.

Now onto the other force working against a contented spirit. The art of comparison. This means looking around at others and their life, their stuff, etc., and measuring it against what I have been given. Thinner, richer, happier, more financially secure, more successful, better liked. The list is endless. It is subtle and can creep up on me quickly. The disciples struggled with this while spending time with Jesus. They frequently debated who would be first or last, and even one of their moms asked Jesus if her boys could have preferential treatment in the kingdom. There is nothing like the comparison to kill a contented state of mind.

Now onto Thanksgiving. If I can learn to be content with what I have or where I am, thanksgiving will become part of my regular spiritual exercise routine. Gratitude won’t be some mysterious unknown force to me. And practice makes perfect. The more I express through my actions and out loud how thankful I am, the more thankful and grateful I become. Stifling complaints helps me build muscles of gratitude. The energy required to complain is used more efficiently for thanksgiving. It makes my soul healthier and my spirit lighter. The more frequently I thank God, the less spiritual soreness I will experience. What is the source of soreness? Pride! I start thinking I have achieved everything. I deserve all I have. Reviewing all I have been blessed with… and oh, don’t forget rescued or saved from is an excellent list to make. Ann Voskamp, in her book A Thousand Gifts, addresses this in such an effective way. I highly recommend it for a Thanksgiving reading.

Today, I pray, Lord, help me strive to allow contentment like humidity to saturate and seep into my bones. Out of my contentment, I pray my gratitude will multiply and that my thanksgiving muscles will not just flex but grow and bulge to the point that others will see the goodness of you! I celebrate this season with this song in my heart.

How great is our God, Sing with me, How great is our God, and all the world will see How great is our God!

Songwriters: Chris Tomlin / Ed Cash / Jesse Reeves
How Great Is Our God lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Music Services, Inc

Happy Thanksgiving! Come back next time when advent comes to the vineyard, and the series continues in “The Struggle with Despair…Finding Hope.