Greed to Gratitude...

“Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward & learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.”
― John Chrysostom 

Do you think of yourself as greedy? We all have wants.  The things that go over and above what we actually need, but is that greed?  The children's dictionary online defines greed as "selfish desire for food, money, or possessions over and above one's needs".  Aren't we all greedy?  I'm greedy for time and things I don't need.  I'm greedy to have more and more.  It's this intense desire to fill a gap or void in our lives, but it only creates a bigger divide.  The more and more I change my own wants into needs the more unhappy I feel.  Maybe, unhappy is not the correct word.  I think the more unsatisfied I feel.  

Kelle Hamptom wrote a blog post today discussing the "complex meaning of gratitude".  Most of our gratitude is in comparison to someone else.  We are grateful for the things we have that others don't.  We are unsatisfied when others have something we don't possess.  This can't be true gratitude.  

 Our gratitude to the One who created us, sustains us, and loves us, can not be in comparison to someone else.  John Chrysostom, is trying to remind us that true gratitude to our Creator comes when we look solely at what we have and say "this is good, I trust that this is all I need" without knowing what someone else has.  

We must drop the act of gratitude and fully embrace what actually living in gratitude means.  Allowing God to transform us into people who are wholly grateful for what we have is the only way.  

What are you truly grateful for?  What in your life can you pray and say "this is good, I trust that this is all I need, thank you God"?