Gratitude Is Not Enough<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gratitude is important and necessary and helpful. A big part of my daily spiritual practice is giving thanks. But gratitude alone is not enough.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2013\/11\/gratitude-is-not-enough-2.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gratitude Is Not Enough\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gratitude is important and necessary and helpful. A big part of my daily spiritual practice is giving thanks. 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{"id":1626,"date":"2013-11-24T16:00:03","date_gmt":"2013-11-24T22:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/?p=1626"},"modified":"2013-11-24T16:48:44","modified_gmt":"2013-11-24T22:48:44","slug":"gratitude-is-not-enough-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2013\/11\/gratitude-is-not-enough-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Gratitude Is Not Enough"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ <\/a>If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is \u201cthank you,\u201d that would suffice<\/em> \u2013 Meister Eckhart<\/p>\n

With apologies to Meister Eckhart<\/a>, whose life was exemplary and whose quote I have used on many occasions, gratitude is not enough.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t misunderstand \u2013 gratitude is important<\/a>. The practice of gratitude reminds us to focus our attention on what\u2019s right in our lives rather than on what\u2019s wrong. What we dwell on we manifest, so it behooves us to dwell on the good in our lives.<\/p>\n

Gratitude keeps us humble. When we give thanks we acknowledge that much of what we enjoy did not come solely by our own efforts. We are where we are because of the family that gave us a start, the ancestors who gave us a foundation, and the community that gave us a structure in which to live and work. We are where we are because of the grace of the gods. Things could be very different and for many people they are.<\/p>\n

Gratitude reminds us that since we receive much from others we have an obligation to give. Sometimes this means paying back and sometimes it means paying forward. In doing so, we build a virtuous circle of giving and gratitude, each of us doing a kindness that isn\u2019t in our immediate self-interest but over the long term provides us all with far more benefits than we could ever generate on our own.<\/p>\n

Gratitude is important and necessary and helpful. A big part of my daily spiritual practice is giving thanks. But gratitude by itself is not enough.<\/p>\n

Gratitude in isolation can lead us to believe that because we have a good life we don\u2019t need to make any changes. It\u2019s good to have enough<\/em><\/a> and to have the wisdom to recognize it. But that\u2019s not an end in and of itself. Having enough, doing what you have to do, frees you to do what you\u2019re called to do and to do it the best you can. What is your art? What is your ministry? What is your service? What is your priesthood? What Great Work is making you uncomfortable by its absence or incompletion?<\/p>\n

How much of that is enough? All you are called to do<\/a> \u2013 no more and no less. Gratitude must be balanced by a commitment to excellence.<\/p>\n

Gratitude in isolation can focus too much of our attention on ourselves and we can forget that not everyone has it so good. Our thankfulness that we have enough is no substitute for making sure everyone has enough. We accomplish this through giving and teaching, but also through working to change systems that oppress and exploit the poor and the vulnerable. Gratitude must be balanced by a commitment to justice.<\/p>\n

It is good we have a holiday \u2013 a holy day \u2013 dedicated to gratitude. Give thanks to your gods and goddesses, to your ancestors, to your family and to your community. Give thanks for all you enjoy, and remember that things could be very different.<\/p>\n

But then recommit yourself to excellence in your calling and to building a just world here and now.<\/p>\n

Happy Thanksgiving!<\/p>\n

This essay was originally posted on my old Blogger site for Thanksgiving 2011.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"