I love listening to business teachers on Youtube, but I especially treasure when I find someone who teaches business skills based on Biblical principles. My personal favorite is Myron Golden, in case you’re looking for Biblically based business principles. All of a sudden, you think you are learning about business, but you are also learning about life. I had this happen recently, and wanted to share with you what I learned. It’s super practical and I hope it will be a blessing to you.

I was listening to Dan Martell in an interview. He was talking about the importance of gratitude, and if you can’t get that right, don’t expect to grow and scale. He recommended creating a master gratitude list, as well as a want list to keep our mindset in check. So, let me explain the idea in my own words, and I hope you will find it helpful.

Creating a master list

We often hear the idea to write something we are thankful for every day. There is tremendous value in that, as we see thanksgiving emphasized throughout Scripture. If you aren’t in the habit of writing a thank-you list every day, start by writing something at the bottom of your planner each day. It helps to reset your mind from focusing on what went wrong throughout the day to how good Yah is to us. As you develop that habit, it’s a good idea to then create a master list of what you are grateful for. This list can be quite varied, including everything from our children to wildflowers to the ability to homeschool. We can be thankful for the big and the little things.

I sat down on Shabbat a few weeks back, and just started writing things down that came to mind. Before I knew it, I had filled a page and a half. This was tremendously helpful to me, as I had been tempted to worry about some things. Thanksgiving is an anecdote to many sins, such as worry, boasting, discontentment, even idolatry. When we focus on Yah and what He has done for us, we train ourselves to see His hand in every area of our lives.

When Moses gave his final speech to the children of Israel (the book of Deuteronomy) he warned of the dangers awaiting them in the promised land. They would move into houses they did not build, eat from vineyards they did not plant, experience prosperity like they had never seen. When that happened, they would be tempted to forget Yah and declare that they had created their new fat experience. The prevention for this is a constant awareness that Yah has given us all we have. He blesses us beyond comprehension. But, if we aren’t actively recognizing this and thanking Him for his goodness, idolatry is only a few steps away.

That’s why taking the time to write down everything we are thankful for is so good for us. It protects us from thinking more of ourselves and our accomplishments than we ought. It keeps our gaze fixed squarely on Yah, where our help comes from.

Creating a master want list

Contentment is very important, and so is a desire for growth and expansion. Life is a journey, and we should never be satisfied to sit comfortably where we are. In fact, in 2 Peter 1:3-11, we are taught that we need to be actively pursuing Yeshua and His ways. If we aren’t, we are actually falling away from Him. We want to always be striving for better.

Once we’ve created a nice, long list of what we are grateful for, it’s a good idea to write down some things that we want. This may include more property to be able to grow more of your family’s food, a larger income, another baby, more space in the house, opportunities to serve. As we make this list, we should be evaluating it in the following ways.

• Does this help me fulfill Yah’s purpose for my life?
• Have I prayed for my desires to line up with Yah’s desires? (Psalm 37:4)
• Are there things I can do to make this happen?

There is nothing wrong with wanting more. We need to start with thanksgiving, and then ask Yah to mold our desires to match His. We also need to look for ways we can act to make those wants reality. Remember that faith is an action.

The Importance of Stewardship

So, we created a list of what we are thankful for. We created a list of what we still want. How does all this tie together?

Stewardship.

We are stewards (caretakers) of all that Yah has put in our care. This includes our family, our finances, our home, our property, our abilities, our opportunities, our social circle, and so much more.

We must faithfully manage and be grateful for what we have before we can ever expect to be put in charge of more.

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. Luke 16:10 ESV

Whether in business, or family, or home, or money, we must be faithful with what we have before we will be given more. How does this look?

• If I want more customers in my small business, I must be diligent to give my current customers plenty of value and service.
• If I want more land to provide wholesome food for my family, I need to be grateful for the little backyard I have and be using it the best I can.
• If I want more money, I need to use the money I have to create an inheritance for my children’s children, as well as blessing those less fortunate than me.
• If I want more friends, I need to be investing my time and prayers in the friends I have.

We must be found faithful where we are before we will be given more to manage.

Please note that Yah blesses us with what is best for us, and not necessarily what we write on our list. That’s why it is so important to pray for Him to mold our desires to match His. But, according to Luke 16, we must be busy about His work and managing what He has given us before He will give us more. This principle is found in several place in Scripture. I challenge you to find some more places!

Challenge

Take some time to write out a master grateful list and a want list. Pray over them, first with a spirit of thanksgiving, and then ask Yah to show you His desires for your life. Ask for help to steward what you have so that you will be found worthy to care for more.