What You Have
2 Corinthians 8:12 (NLT) Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.
Have you ever wanted something you don’t have? A new car, a nicer house, a different talent, a new relationship…
I love to travel, and I love to look online at destinations I’ve never been to and daydream about going there. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but sometimes I catch myself getting a little too obsessed. I’ll start counting down the time until my next travel date—and in the process of thinking about the future, I can miss the beauty of the present.
A few days ago, I was sitting out on my front porch with my coffee in the morning, taking in the fall views. The leaves on the trees were brilliant reds, oranges, yellows, and greens. The sun shone with its morning intensity. It was stunning. At that moment, I remembered: I have SO much to appreciate right here… on my own front porch.
I’m grateful that I am able travel, but I don’t need to go anywhere to experience beauty, joy, contentment, and fulfillment. I think of Paul’s words to the Philippians (4:11b-13): I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
I would paraphrase this message as, “We can be content when we count on Jesus, no matter what.” These Scriptures encourage me to start at the very root of what we have—Jesus—and work from there… focusing on what we have over what we don’t. I believe that doing so increases both my joy and generosity.
Think of a time when a gift filled you to overflowing—and in contrast, think of a time when you obsessed over something you didn’t have. During each experience, what was going on in your mind and in your spirit?
Prayer
God of all, thank you for the abundance you have poured out on me. Remind me to focus on the many gifts you have given me, and not on things that I don’t have. Amen.