Guardrails of Contentment

Good morning, my friend!  Good morning, Father!  

“And God can give you more blessings than you need. Then you will always have plenty of everything -- enough to give to every good work.” - 2 Corinthians 9:8.

Father, You say You will give us blessings in order to be able to bless others, not to just hold onto them for ourselves.  By nature, human beings left to their our devices are selfish. It’s part of self preservation and the drive to survive within us.  It’s part of what makes us grow up and get jobs to provide for ourselves, instead of sitting and wasting away.  We are willing to work hard to “do” what we need to do in order to “get”.  But the vast majority of us don’t put in the same amount of effort in order to “give”.  We hang onto things tightly and only release after careful consideration if we will still have enough for ourselves.  Back behind it, driving so much is an insatiable hunger for more - more money, more food, more shoes, clothes, cars, prestige, the bigger house, nicer car.  The list goes on.  Father, help us to find and embrace  “enough.”  Show us how to be productive, contributing members of society that responsibly plan for the future, without getting drawn into the temptation to hoard, or drive ourselves to work unhealthy hours from greed.  Help us to realize that we can trust that You will provide what we need when we need it, if we are faithful to use what we are given wisely and unselfishly.

Father, I lift my friend.  Renew their awareness of what is enough.  Help them to find satisfaction in enough that they don’t fall prey to the torment of unending longing due to insatiable hunger for more.  Show them how to be satisfied, and embrace contentment and freedom with less, so there us some left over to pour out on others.  Expand their ability to trust You to provide for them, so they can feel joy, and not anxiety, in giving.  I ask that You bless them with enough, with extra left over to be a blessing to others, but not so much as to be a curse that gives genesis to unrelenting hunger.  Put guardrails on their life, Lord, and keep them safe on the path toward home.  In Jesus Name ❤️

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