Gratitude 4 – Grateful for finance

Welcome to our final talk on gratitude in this series.

Did you know that the Bible talks about money, possessions, and accumulating wealth in over 2,000 verses?

In fact, 11 of the 39 parables Jesus taught are about that very subject. It’s probably safe to say that God knew that there would be a temptation and tendency to handle money poorly. I believe that money is God’s number 1 competitor for your attention.

Sadly, if we’re honest, many of us do love and adore money more than we should. Don’t we often wish we had more? And can’t we sometimes be tempted to think that a possession or amount of money will bring lasting gratitude? In reality, we know it’s just a temporary fix that will soon need to be satisfied once again.

James 1:17 says that

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Our God is the giver of “every good and perfect gift.”

So if we really think about that, it can powerfully affect our mindset when it comes to our finances. Can you start to think a little more about ever good and perfect gift? The verse we are looking at reminds us that God is the Father of the heavenly lights. So we can start with the stars and thank him for them and how they speak of his glory. You don’t have to be rich to do that! What other good thing do you have in your life? A good job? A pension? A friendly delivery guy? A roof over your head? Food on your table?

There is so much more on finances that we could say, and I feel another series coming on! But for now, let’s stick with finding contentment in the moment by gratitude for what we DO have.

Hebrews 13:5 says,

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.” Here are three areas where we can choose to be thankful today, whatever our financial situation:

1. Where you live. Whether our home is big or small, most of us have a place to live. Thank God for the gift of a place to live regardless of size or style.
2. What you possess. Many of us have clothes that we don’t wear, and have the ability to stream music or read books on a device that allows us to get any information we can find. Take some time to thank God for all that you own.
3. What you have at your convenience. If you have the ability to get clean water at the turn of a tap or buy food from a supermarket, then you are more blessed than most in the world. Thank God for the gift of these conveniences.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) I hope this series has been helpful to you. Let’s be a people who are continually grateful to God, whatever the circumstances. If we’ve given our lives to Jesus, he has made us rich beyond compare, for all eternity, and it serves us well to remember that, with great thanksgiving!