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Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
If you are like me and honest with yourself, there are times you’ve read today’s verse and thought ‘Yeah, right. Easy for you to say.’
It’s easy for someone who has no debt to tell you to get out of debt.
It’s easy for someone who has never been cheated on to tell you to trust.
It’s easy for someone who has dealt with their grief to say, ‘things will get better, keep your chin up.’
Reality is, when things are going well for you it’s easy to be thankful. When your kids are responsible, your marriage is sexually and emotionally fulfilling, your team is winning, thankfulness comes naturally. But when things go south it’s hard, but not impossible to show gratitude.
Here are some ways that may make it easier to show gratitude in difficult times, and especially now as we enter a new year.
- Spend some time in reflection. The fact that you are reading this proves that you’ve made it through the past! It may not have been easy. It may have been painful. There may have been times when you didn’t think you could go on. But you did! What lessons did you learn from your failures? What victories did you celebrate? How did you see God working in your life? Sometimes He shows himself best when we are at our worst.
- Set some realistic goals for spiritual growth. Start small. Perhaps get one or two close friends who can help keep you accountable. Ask God to help you in setting the goal, pursuing the goal and celebrating the victory.
- As you look ahead, see possibilities, not problems. Remember that God wants you to succeed and he has given you his Holy Spirit to help you accomplish it. Roadblocks will stop you, obstacles will strengthen you. Make every roadblock an obstacle by His grace.
- Pursue Praise. I can’t explain it, but in my own life I’ve noticed that the best way to destroy discouragement is to listen to or sing praise music. Why do you think the longest book in the Bible is a book of praise in the midst of adversity? Praise God for who He is, not for what you are going through.
- Stop listening to the voices. If you have accepted Jesus as Savior, Satan knows he’s lost. But he won’t give up easily. If he can’t get you to follow him, he’ll try to tell you lies. Don’t listen to the negative voices of others, social media or the voices in your head. Stop the negative talk, foster a positive mindset.
- Spread the Joy. It sounds ironic but it’s true. The best way to defeat discouragement, fear, worry and a host of other negative emotions is to help others. Paul tells us in Corinthians to comfort others with the comfort we’ve received. Helping others can be a great way to lift others up when they are down and it can give you opportunities to show the grace God has given you.
Make this year the year you focus on being thankful for all God has given you and share the lessons you are learning with those who are on this journey of life with you.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the Eagle’s! Psalm 103:5
She sat in my office in tears. After telling her husband for weeks that something was wrong with the car, it finally broke down on her way to work. Her husband was out of town so he was unable to help her.
When she was able to compose herself, I gently asked her a few questions. I knew this marriage was in trouble and sometimes, in a strained relationship, the smallest things can be tinder for a bigger fire.
“Were the boys still with you?”
“No, I’d already dropped them off, so I was alone.”
“So, I offered, it’s a good thing they weren’t with you isn’t it?”
“Yes, a very good thing.”
“Where did the car stall?”
“Just after I crossed the highway.”
“Good thing you got across that road! If the transmission had failed as you crossed it could have been tragic.”
“True.” (You could see the wheels start to turn)
“How did you get the car to the shop?”
“I called a couple guys from work. They towed it to the shop for me and since they were very close it didn’t take long at all.”
“That’s good, isn’t it? I mean, a towing bill can be pretty expensive.”
“Yes, and the weather was warmer today than last week. I’d have hated for those guys to work on my car if it had been as cold as it has been.”
“And, you made it to work in time?”
The light finally broke through.
“True. You know, the whole situation was frustrating to be sure, but it could have been so much worse if it had been colder or the boys would have been with me, or I broke down further from home. God was definitely taking care of me wasn’t he?”
Her story wasn’t really any different than ours. So many times in life we come across situations that frustrate us, make us angry, or make us afraid. Sometimes, to be sure, they are serious things that could be life threatening, but many times they are just small annoyances in the journey of life.
God is good. He allows things to come in our lives to test us, but he promises to walk with us along the way. Most of the time we don’t see God’s goodness because we are focusing on the things we want and not seeing how he has provided the things we need.
I’m convinced, from life experiences and scripture, that God’s angels watch over us daily. Who knows how many car accidents we’ve been rescued from because of a slow driver or missing a light. Take time each day to thank God for the little blessings he’s provided throughout the day. Thank him as well for the things you don’t know he’s done to protect and guide you along the right path.
PRAYER: Father God. You have blessed me far beyond what I deserve. Thank you for watching over me daily. I especially praise you for the many ways your hand has protected me from unseen dangers and turmoil. Amen.
Be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 6:12
Remember the story of the Lion and the mouse? The little mouse was hopelessly trapped in the paws of the mighty lion. He begged for his release and promised to help him someday. The lion laughed so hard he dropped the mouse, allowing it to escape. Later, the lion was hopelessly trapped. The mouse heard the lion’s roar, raced to his rescue, gnawed the trap apart and released the lion. The lion remembered the mouse’s kind deed and the two became unlikely friends.
While the story could have multiple meanings for life, the most important may be to always remember the kind deeds others have done for you. The more pronounced the kindness extended to us, the more important it is for us to remember.
God’s people had spent nearly 600 years under the rule of the Egyptian government. They had no military strength. They had no qualities that would endear them to anyone. They were a bunch of slaves with no hope for anything better.
Then God showed up in the form of Moses and everything changed. They were miraculously delivered from bondage. They were given a chance to make something of themselves. They were given hope. Eventually they would become a mighty nation.
In the same way, each of us was spiritually enslaved. We had no hope. We had no endearing qualities. There was nothing that made us attractive to anyone. Then God showed up in the form of Jesus and everything has changed.
The words of Moses still ring true to us. What the God of the universe has done for each of us should always be at the forefront of our minds. The problem is, it’s far too easy to forget what God has done for us. Just as the Israelites struggled in the wilderness, we struggle as well in our daily pilgrimage. But the struggles we endure today are well worth what we will see in the promised land of eternity. So what is it that keeps us from remembering? What are the main enemies of our ingratitude (intentional or not)?
One is that we often forget how ugly sin looks to God. Shortly after the Israelites were delivered they longed to return to slavery! They forgot the bad and focused only on the good. We were as good as dead before Jesus died for us. There is nothing pretty or useful with ‘dead’.
A second reason we forget is that we grow content with what we have. When things are good we forget about the fact that every good gift comes as a result of his hand. When things go bad we spend our times blaming ourselves, God or others. God’s love and compassion are present regardless of our circumstances.
Thirdly, we can often forget about what God has done for us because our focus turns to what we have done for him or others instead. We begin to feel entitled to God’s blessings because we are so godly (compared to others); We try too hard to do the ‘right thing’ and become frustrated in our weakness; We move from seeing ourselves as being rescued to living as ‘the victim’ (poor little old me).
Take time to follow Moses’ advice. Be careful not to forget what God has done for you. Never forget that you were once nothing but a dead, worthless slave. Then, Jesus came to make you new. Now you are a child of God and destined for eternity in heaven. Never forget.
PRAYER: Father God, never let me forget where I have come from and where I am now because of your grace. Empower me to live a life of gratitude that spills over to those around me. Amen.
For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:27
When natural disasters strike we are drawn to the people who give of themselves to help the victims. Movie stars, athletes and other celebrities are held in high esteem for the sacrificial work they have done to help humanity. Those who don’t have much money, but have a passion for a particular cause will join together for marches and walks and vigils to bring attention to the victims of disease or some other calamity in hopes that their cause will be noticed by those who can help in even the smallest way.
I’m in no way minimizing the efforts of these people. They are to be applauded for their work. Some have given their own lives so that others can live and that is a noble gesture indeed. However, the one factor in all these efforts that has to happen for them to be effective is that success comes from gaining public awareness. As good of intentions as these heroes of society have, their work would not be as effective if no one notices. In fact, celebrities are sought out to sponsor a cause for that very reason.
That’s what makes Jesus’ teaching even more astounding. In the hot, dusty streets and paths of Israel, no one was less recognized than the servant who washed people’s feet. It was the dirtiest and lowest job anyone could have. The servant delegated to foot-washing was noticed more if he/she wasn’t there than for the job they did. Never a thank-you. No tips. No appreciation or recognition of any kind. If you were a foot-washer it was unlikely that anyone at Wal-Mart would stop you in the aisle and say, “Remember me? You washed my feet last week. Thank you so much!” That wasn’t going to happen. Ever. Period.
Jesus used the example of washing feet for basic reasons. First of all, he did that to show me how important I am to him. That person with the towel around his waist, kneeling before me on a hot, dusty day, to wash my smelly, calloused, crusty feet was the creator of the universe! He was the one that hung the stars in place. He was the one that created the wonder we call conception and birth. He was the one who formed the massive mountains and the fruitful plain and filled the massive ocean. Then he turned around and place hundreds of thousands of life forms in them. Yet there he was washing my feet. To the King of Kings and Lord of Lords I am held in higher esteem than he holds himself.
A second reason Jesus kneels before me is to show me how to treat others. True heroes do the little things that make others, who deserve it the least, feel like kings! As you go through the journey of life, you may come in contact with hundreds of people who largely go unnoticed for the things they do. The clerk at the gas station. The barista at Starbucks. The greeter at Wal-Mart. The list goes on and on.
So ask yourself this question. At the end of the day, have the people you come in contact with left your presence feeling like a king or a servant?
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. The visual of you kneeling before me to wash my feet is humbling. The fact that you would think so much of me that you lowered yourself to that leaves me without words. I ask that you would empower me with your Holy Spirit to see the unnoticed in my daily walk. Help me leave them feeling like kings, just as you see me. In your name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 