The Be-Attitudes of the Christian Walk ~ Be Grateful
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Dear Heavenly Father, I have so much to be thankful for, but my heart is having trouble dwelling in gratitude. Please help me to not only see the things and people in my life I should be grateful for but give me a heart of gratitude. Please draw my eyes off of myself and set them on You, Jehovah Jireh. Thank you for the blessings and the trials in my life. In Your Name, Amen
As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself waking up each day and recognizing I have so much to be grateful for. It is a lot. Not just materially, but emotionally, spiritually, and physically. So why does my heart still grumble?
The easy answer is because I have unmet expectations. The deeper answer is that my heart is not abiding where it should. I am wrestling with the greater issue of where my heart rests. I need to seek joy only in the Lord rather than circumstances or a list of things I can name.
To address my struggle, I did a little study on people who showed gratitude in Scripture. What I found was that most of the prayers of gratitude were born as a result of great heartache. Hannah had been unable to have a child. Job lost his fortune and his family. Mary was an unwed teen mom. The leper had a diseased body and was despised by his community. David had many near-death experiences and a prideful heart—until God used Nathan to show him his way back to the heart of God.
I am sure every one of the above-mentioned people struggled with unmet expectations. Yet they were able to express gratitude, not just for a list of things or answered prayer but for God’s faithfulness.
As a student of American history, I have read several versions of the “First Thanksgiving.” In 1621, after the Pilgrims survived their first year, and the harvest was plenteous, the governor set aside a day to celebrate God’s provision.
Over the course of the early colonial era, many declarations of a “day of thanksgiving” were made. Reasons varied from “a plentiful harvest” to ships arriving safely. But almost every one of those declarations came after a season of suffering.
Thanksgiving Day should give us all pause to remember what we have to be grateful for; not just a list of material possessions, not just friends, family or community, but for the God who promises to supply all our needs.
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. Philippians 4:19-20
Encouraged by seeing others express their gratitude, I posted every single day of November 2024, each day highlighting a different thing, person, experience. Then one day, hackers took over my social media, and every one of those posts disappeared. But a heart of gratitude should not be so easily stolen. Focusing on gratitude daily can help realign our thinking. However, it is focusing our hearts on the Giver of all good things that will keep us abiding in gratitude. James 1:17, Psalm 84:11, I Timothy 6:17
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:15
A Prayer for Gratitude:
Heavenly Father, Please help me to take my eyes off of circumstances and focus them only on You and Your perfect provision and will. Thank You for loving me and dying on the cross for my freedom and salvation. Amen.
Questions to Ponder:
Do you struggle to have a heart of gratitude?
What is one thing you can do today to shift your focus?
How can you practically take your eyes off your circumstances and put them on Jesus?
For Further Reading:
Heart Happy by Tricia Goyer
The Grumble Free Year by Tricia Goyer
Worship With Me:
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My name is Keri Willis. I am a semi-retired educator. I spent a great deal of my career working with adults with developmental disabilities and many years in elementary education, in the classroom and as an administrator. My main ministry now is coordinating the women’s ministry for our church in San Diego, CA. I have been married thirty-four years and have two grown and married children. I now have a head of full grey hair and good ideas. I believe we are created to use our gifts and to be creative. That comes in many forms for me. I love to woodwork and use power tools, design, decorate, garden, and create new recipes. And I love to write. One major lesson I have learned in my writing journey is that I need to be still and listen to hear God’s voice before I am prepared to put into words the message he has instilled in my heart. This has been much easier since I am no longer working full time, but it is so easy to get distracted and not listen, which almost always ends with an empty page in the form of writer’s block. While I have written many articles for newsletters and local newspapers, I did not consider myself a writer until I self-published my first book, Teapots and Power Tools. https://www.amazon.com/Teapot.../dp/1466458763/ref=sr_1_3... The idea emerged as I was working on a project in my garage. I had worship music playing, power tools out and saw dust flying. I glanced up and saw my delicate teapot sitting on my router table. The message was clear. Sometimes we are using the power tools God gives us and sometimes he just wants us to be still and have tea with him. The book became the foundation for a women’s retreat, and then my amazing niece helped me work through publishing it on Create Space (now KDP). At least five other projects are in different stages of production. I joined hope*writers to help motivate me and keep me focused and accountable. I am still trying to figure out the whole website and blog thing. That is my next goal for myself; that and finish writing at least one of my projects! Teapots and Power Tools: Effectively using the tools God has equipped you with, while taking time to “Be Still and Know That He is God” View more posts
