This week, my column in the series revolving around the theme of rooted in gratitude, growing in grace based on Colossians 2:6–7, “So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving”, will center on gratitude in the middle. Together, we will learn how to practice gratitude even in difficult seasons. Because God is always present, even in the middle of our struggles, we will be grateful anyway!
Being Grateful Even When it Feels Hard
Life can be tough. Many people can argue that life has been tough since COVID hit. Many people have still been struggling to stay afloat financially as well as mentally. There have been many job losses, illnesses as well as impacts to personal relationships. There are times and seasons that make it very difficult to feel thankful.
But it is important to be grateful even when it feels hard. Having gratitude helps you to maintain and to grow hope. Being grateful encourages you to see the good in both what is and what is yet to come. It keeps you positive. It reminds you of the joy in your heart.
What Scripture Really Says About Being Grateful
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 reminds us to “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (usccb.org) God wants us to have gratitude in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. This means that we can find things or people or just life to be grateful for no matter the circumstances. We are not required to be grateful for challenges or terrible things. But, we are required to be grateful in the midst of terrible things.
Psalm 136:1 tells us to “Praise the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever;” (usccb.org) This is gratitude as an expression of worship. Psalm 107:1 “Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his mercy endures forever!” (usccb.org) There are many, many more scriptures throughout the Bible directing us to give praise to God. This is worship. This is gratitude. How are you praising God while enduring hard times?
The Purpose of Trials
When enduring difficult times, you may ask why it is happening to you. Many people often do. You may even ask why bad things happen to good people. That is putting your focus on the challenge instead of on gratitude. James 1:2–4 reminds you to, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (usccb.org) Consider trials to be a time of preparation for growth.
You may need to be stretched to learn new things. Experiences often provide learning and understanding for helping other people in the future. God may just be equipping you for something you are called to do. Remember that He does not call the equipped, He equips the called. Utilize this time to strengthen your relationship with God. Talk to Him and listen for His response (prayer). Let Him work in you and with you.
Shifting to a Perspective of Gratitude
It is all too easy to get caught up in negativity. People are often influenced by others to see the negative and to focus on what can’t be done or to focus on the bad things that may have happened to them. When you shift from negativity to a perspective of being grateful, amazing things can happen. Your heart becomes lighter. You can rewire your brain to help reduce stress and anxiety. Happiness begins to become more prevalent. You allow God in and to work within you.
How can you shift to a perspective of gratitude? Practice the following things:
- Look for God’s presence in everyday life
- Soak in small moments of grace and savor them
- Look for the positive in every circumstance
- Determine how you can offer someone a positive experience and do it
- Express gratitude by others vocalling or in writing
- Start and end your day with gratitude by either speaking out loud or journaling about what you are grateful for
These actions will help keep you focused on the positive aspects of life to help give you a perspective of gratitude. Some of them are even modelling gratitude to others.
Practical Ways to Practice Gratitude
You should always practice gratitude. I use the word “practice” because perfection is never expected. But, you can always work on doing it better. Here are some practical ways to practice gratitude so that you can put gratitude into practice:
Journaling: Pick a time or multiple times a day that may work best for you. Choose a designated place to journal in. Choose what you will journal on or in. It could even be on your phone by typing or speaking into an app. Consider plain paper or a journal purchased specifically for this cause. Choose what will encourage you to journal. You can even purchase a journal that already contains scripture in case you need a gentle nudge. When you start to journal, say a prayer asking God to help see all you are grateful for. Pause if needed and then let it flow by writing it, typing it or speaking it. During difficult times, this will give you something to look back on.
Prayer Reframing: We are conditioned to use prayer to ask for things. Reframe your prayer to be a discussion or statement of gratitude. Start by praising God and sharing with Him all that you are grateful for. Remembering that God provides what He knows we need is an easy way to show we are grateful.
Serving Others: Nothing demonstrates that you are grateful for what you have more than sharing it with others. There are many ways to serve. Start with the three broad categories’ time, talent and treasure and then work from there. Discover how God has equipped you to serve and then do it.
An Example of Living Gratitude
Gratitude transforms how we see everything. This past week I took my husband to an appointment with a doctor. He went in and I stayed in the car to attend a Zoom meeting. It was very frustrating because the reception in that area was so bad that not only could I not join the meeting, but I could not use any of the data dependent functions on my phone. It was Texas hot out that morning so I decided to go wait for my husband in the waiting room with air conditioning.
As I quietly entered and sat down, the lady at the desk behind the window greeted me and asked me how I was. Because I still couldn’t use my phone in the way I wanted (I know, first world problems), I observed how the lady working in the office not only greeted every patient, but sincerely engaged with them. Just prior to leaving when my husband’s appointment concluded, I approached the sweet lady who was brimming with kindness and positivity. I looked her in the eyes and told her what a wonderful job she was doing. I described every encounter I witnessed and explained how she was lifting up the patients. When you live in gratitude, you see the good. You point it out to others and let them know the goodness that you see.
Let’s take a moment to ask for better vision for gratitude:
“Lord,
Thank you for the gift of life and the God-given talents you have given me.
I long to live more like Jesus, appreciating life and sharing Your goodness with others.
Help me see You even in the midst of challenges and chaos.
Give me strength to live a grateful life when I fall weak.
I love you.
I am grateful for You and all You have given me.
Help me to live in gratitude every day.
In the Name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.”
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