"I should be grateful for what I have and not expect more because of my background."
How it sounds in your head: You've achieved more than your parents dreamed possible, more than seemed available to people like you. Part of you feels guilty for wanting more, like you should be satisfied with getting this far. People remind you how far you've come, implying you should stop reaching for what others take for granted.
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."
-- Ephesians 3:20Religious/cultural spirit weaponizing gratitude to create false ceiling on God's abundant blessing, making contentment equal settling.
You genuinely are grateful—you remember the starting point. But equating gratitude with not expecting more feels wrong, yet the voices (internal and external) are strong. Wanting more feels like ingratitude or presumption given where you started.
Bartimaeus was a blind beggar—society's expectation was that he be grateful for any coins tossed his way. But when Jesus asked 'What do you want?' he didn't say 'Whatever you think is appropriate for someone like me.' He said 'I WANT TO SEE'—and Jesus instantly gave him complete healing. No lecture about being grateful for his current state.
I REFUSE the lie that I should settle for less than God's abundance because of my background. IT IS WRITTEN that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all I ask or think. The BARAK blessing is mine by covenant—I am blessed in the city and in the field, above only and not beneath. Gratitude doesn't mean accepting artificial limits; it means thanking my Father for the MORE He promises. IT IS WRITTEN that I am Abraham's seed and heir according to promise. My Father isn't rationing blessing based on where I started—He's running toward me with abundance that reflects His nature, not my history. I receive with grateful, EXPECTANT hands.
Your Father isn't impressed by how little you'll accept—He's excited about how much He gets to give you. He didn't run toward the prodigal with a poverty mindset saying 'be grateful you're not dead.' He ran with the robe, the ring, the fatted calf—ABUNDANCE was His immediate response. He's the same toward you.