Be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.
–Luke 12:15
Is thanking God a regular part of your life? Psalm 95:2 says, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.”
The Bible places a premium on thankfulness. So why do we have such a hard time regularly expressing gratitude to God? Let me mention two barriers to gratitude.
The first barrier to gratitude is materialism, which is the belief that money or its trappings can satisfy our deepest needs. Have you ever thought, If I earned just a little more money, I would be satisfied? Let me let you in on a secret: no matter how much money you have, it will never seem to be enough. Solomon, who was the wealthiest man of his day, wrote, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). And in Luke 12:15, Jesus said, “Be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
We tend to define ourselves by our possessions. But one day, we’re going to be separated from our possessions. To illustrate that truth, Jesus told a parable: “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’” (vv. 16–17). The man came up with an elaborate scheme to store all his wealth. But God said, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” (v. 20). This man came up with a plan to store his wealth, but there was a contingency he didn’t plan for: his death. Jesus closed in verse 21, “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” The person who believes that money can satisfy his needs or protect him against adversity is going to be disappointed. Yet we keep desiring that which never will satisfy us at the expense of giving thanks to God for what He’s already done for us.
The second barrier to gratitude is closely related to materialism, and that is comparison. I have a friend who says comparison is the favorite indoor sport of Christians. We love to compare our cars, homes, bank accounts, children–everything we have. But comparison doesn’t take into account the fact that God has a unique plan for your life. As long as we’re comparing what we don’t have to what somebody else has, we cannot thank God for what He’s provided for us.
