Out of Nothing, I have Been Sustained

On yesterday, my pastor preached a sermon that was so on time for me and my current situation. It applied to several areas of my life---my finances, my job, my marriage, etc. The overall message was that what God has commanded to sustain us, will sustain us. Whether God has blessed us with a handful, or a truckload, we need to learn how to be content and thankful for what we have. We are not to despise the jobs, the money, the income, and the things that we have been given. If we have been given what we consider small blessings and are not able to accept those and be thankful, then how can we expect God to bless us with more? The things that we (I) have been complaining about are the very things that we have been given to sustain our lives.

This is only a portion of my notes from the sermon, but it really spoke to me. I have a bad habit of complaining about the job that I have, the amount of money I make, and the things I don't have. Truth be told, I am extremely blessed. I live in a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home that I do not own, but that I do not have to pay rent to live in because it is owned by my father in law. That is a HUGE blessing. I have a job that I actually don't mind going to everyday that pays me decent money. I have my own office and I can pretty much do what I want when I want, so long as my job gets done. I get to travel on my jobs dime and not my own. I have a wonderful husband and wonderful children. I don't have many friends I see on a regular basis, but I am thankful for my best friend and the friendships I have in the blogosphere. I have wonderful parents and siblings who keep me laughing. I have more clothes in my closet than I can actually find time to wear. I don't say any of this to brag, but to brag on Him who made all of this possible. This is just a sampling of the blessings that have been bestowed upon me. I would be typing all day if I tried to list everything.

With this in mind, I am challenging myself to be more thankful, grateful, and to praise Him for even the smallest of things. On my financial journey, I have been focusing too much on where I want to be instead of where I am right now. I must learn to be content in whatever state I am in. Contentment doesn't mean that I have to stay in the same shape, but just to appreciate the state I am in now. Besides, how can I expect to be moved to another level in my spiritual life, in my finances, or in my career when I can't see the beauty in the right now?