Out of Phase #29 More

Have you ever heard the old saying “Better a bird in hand than two in the bush”? This eleven word proverb packs a powerful punch!

It is human nature to want more and our over-saturated world of indirect and direct marketing capitalizes on just that. Not that wanting to improve our lot is altogether wrong. However, our desire for more wars against our contentment and when this is allowed to rage unchecked our ability to enjoy the blessings we do have will be overshadowed and our perspective knocked out of phase.

So, how do we fully enjoy all that we have? By doing just as the old hymn reminds us and “Count Your Blessings. ”

I have found in my own struggle with contentment that the key is not to do battle against envy, but rather to starve it out. In other words, ignore it. Set your mind on all the blessings you have while not wishing you possessed those of others.

The reality is we all have things with which we are blessed. Some have financial stability and all the things to show for it. Others have strong families and a wide circle of friends. Some have talent, charisma, and good looks. But if all we do is spend time focusing on the two birds we might catch – or the birds in the hands of others – rather than the one in our possession we rob ourselves of the joys our blessings afford. And, when those blessings are relationships, we communicate to those in our lives that they are somehow less important than the things we wish we had.

To live a fully content life – to keep our contentment in phase – is to rest in who we are in Jesus, enjoy the blessings He has given us, and celebrate the blessings he has bestowed upon others.