"Thankful, But Not Satisfied"
By Steve Backlund
Thankfulness and hunger for positive change create a catalytic combination for personal victory and greater influence. One without the other is unhealthy. If we are thankful but not pursuing positive change, then we will be passive and fatalistic. If we are dissatisfied, but not thankful, we will be an unhappy person who is not fun to be with.
Thankful means to express gratitude and be relieved.
Satisfied means to be content and pleased.
Why Being Thankful So Important
It is a sign of a prosperous soul and helps keep us from being entitled and self-centered - “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). Good parents of younger children will tell them frequently, “Say thank you.” They realize if they grow up entitled, they will be unhappy and create messes in their relationships. This is the opposite of a prosperous soul.
It keeps us from being stuck in life or in specific situations - “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). A gate represents an entry point into new territory. We accelerate into greater things by increasing our gratitude to God and people. Ungratefulness restricts our lives.
It helps us capture lies and increase our faith - “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). The moment we add thanksgiving into our prayer lives, we move from asking to believing. And when we are tempted to worry, we can overcome that by thanking God for His promises and thanking Him that our past prayers are working.
Not Satisfied
When not being satisfied is unhealthy for us:
When we focus more on what is wrong than what is right
When we allow it to create a victim mindset in us
When we allow it to weaken our commitment to our most important relationships and assignments
When we pursue unhealthy solutions to our feelings of boredom
How can we allow dissatisfaction in our lives to work positively for us? Here are some biblical examples.
Spiritual boredom propelled Nicodemus to seek for more than religious ritual (John 3).
Frustration caused Hannah to see God’s need, give herself to it, and then see her life purpose manifest (1 Samuel 1)
Chronic unresolved issues inspired the woman with the issue of blood to tangibly touch Jesus’’ garment and receive incredible healing (Luke 8:43-48).
There would never be inventions and discoveries of better ways to do things, if people were satisfied and comfortable with everything in their lives.
Let us pursue thankfulness like never before, and keep finding creative ways to live life to the fullest.