Gratitude is Kind of a Big Deal
It’s a split second reprieve. My eyes slowly blink open. I recognize the light pushing through my not-so-blackout drapes. I identify the fan whirling above me. I can almost smile. Until my brain reminds me of reality and denies any attempt of the sun telling me it’s a good day. My heart sinks back through the bed to the floor. Heaviness trapping me to the bed. I role over wishing to escape it all through more sleep because reality crushes in the waking.
Have you been there? Me too.
Life and pain are synonymous. The hard stuff too easily becomes all consuming leading us to a dangerous mindset that everything is bad. Where that mindset exists, gratitude seems like a far reach. Yet practicing thankfulness, even in the darkest moments, is part of His will for us. As 1 Thessalonians 5:18 directly states, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” [emphasis mine] The reality is that every day there are countless things to be thankful for, no matter the circumstances. God’s will for us to be thankful in all things is not a burden. It’s for our benefit.
“God’s will for us to be thankful in all things is not a burden. It’s for our benefit.”
Most mornings, I write down three things I am thankful for. If you read my last blog, you know that this practice of the Gratitude Journal was actually born out of a wrong motive for me. I falsely thought (or hoped) that if I expressed gratitude for what I already have, then He would further bless me with what I want. Nope. That’s not what the Bible says. It doesn’t say that if we are thankful our pain will go away or we will get what we want. Gratitude can’t be used to manipulate God. Getting what you want is not gratitude’s benefit.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [emphasis mine]
When processing betrayal in my first marriage and navigating a decision on divorce, writing down ways God was blessing me became a lifeline practice that kept me afloat. It gave me the necessary strength to push through the heaviness and get out of bed. God graciously met me in the middle and guarded my heart and mind with His peace that certainly surpassed my understanding.
“You can feel peace and pain at the same time.”
Gratitude is not a medicine that kills your problems, rather it covers you with God’s peace that guards your heart and mind in the middle of the pain. You can feel peace and pain at the same time. Gratitude is heart sustenance and brain nourishment that helps strengthen you and builds endurance as you journey. Just like our body will shut down without food, our heart and mind will shut down without gratitude.
It’s safe to say gratitude is kind of a big deal.
But why does gratitude have this power? If you give someone a gift, and they don’t acknowledge it is from you or say thank you, how would that make you feel? That would likely drive the relationship apart, and not bring it together. The opposite is also true.
“Gratitude, at its root, builds relationship with the Father.”
Gratitude, at its root, builds relationship with the Father, from whom all good things come from. Gratitude has that power because it’s connecting you to the All Powerful Prince of Peace. Active relationship with God turns our hearts towards His goodness and faithfulness, and helps us trust Him more, even in the middle of the mess. It’s out of that trusting relationship that we learn, grow, endure, heal, and enjoy the peace that is found only in Him. All of which spurs on more thankfulness. Gratitude, in turn, becomes a characteristic of being in close relationship to Him.
That is why gratitude is His will for us. Because gratitude and relationship with Him are synonymous. And in the end, it’s all about relationship with Him.
Gratitude is kind of a big deal.
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So let’s get practical and talk more about this Gratitude Journal practice. Maybe you are wanting to put this into practice, but the cruelty of life is making it hard for you to see the good. It’s ok. Some days I sit there staring at my journal with nothing coming to mind. This just illuminates the very reason I clearly need this practice to help me readjust my perspective.
Here are some categories I think through:
Things He has done for you: This is the one we naturally go to. God likes to delight us, and He is pleased when we acknowledge that the blessing is from Him and we thank Him for it. This is a good thing; it is not selfish.
Things He has done for others: This one didn’t come as naturally to me at first. It acknowledges the great work God is doing for other people. It’s easy to get caught up in the comparison game. Look at what God’s doing for that person, and not for me. Rather than allowing bitterness, resentment, and hurt build up, how would it change us if instead, we counted that has proof that He is good and He is actively working. If He is working in their life, He is working in ours, too. We may just not be able to see it yet. This one challenges me.
Things He will do for you (& others): WHOA! This brings a whole new level to being expectant in prayer, and to be honest, is another hard one for me. Definitely a work in progress over here.
Who He is: He is good, faithful, sovereign, loving, etc.
What He offers: Salvation, Presence/Relationship, Peace, Guidance, Protection, etc.
What He is doing in and through us whether we can see it clearly or not.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Let’s practice gratitude, not only this month, but all our days, for this is His will for us. No matter how big or small, James 1:17 says “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” Thank Him for big things, like the breath in your lungs. Thank Him for the little things, like that pumpkin spice latte. And enjoy relationship with Him, and the peace of God that will guard your heart and mind, even in the middle of your pain.