Gratitude Is Saving My Life

Gratitude Is Saving My Life

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4: 6-7 NAS

Life sucks.  At some point in time, if we are honest, we all feel or have felt this way. Great sadness, grief, fear from unrealized dreams, unexpected betrayal/abandonment/rejection/ death of loved ones, failing health, and many other circumstances can leave us with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. This hopelessness can leave us paralyzed in our beds or numb and unengaged walking through life. Today’s scripture reminds us that finding something to be thankful for during situations that create worry or disappointment is important in experiencing God’s peace.

There have been many times where I have felt helpless/hopeless and felt like life was not worth living, especially if it was going to always look like my current life circumstance.  Even now, I am balancing disappointments that can be overwhelming, but I am able to function authentically in the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control) because of my commitment to the “thanksgiving” portion of this scripture. I have learned the following since remaining committed to this principle of thanksgiving:

• While waiting on the next, be thankful for the right now. I am not of the camp that dismisses my sad feelings, in fact I protect my sad feelings from those who use that method to survive. I do not believe that God is upset with us when we acknowledge that we are sad, fearful, sick, disappointed but comes alongside us to provide comfort. I thank God for the Bible that allows us the opportunity to get a window into the lives of our ancestors when they were sad, scared and disappointed. What I find is that God continuously shows up with kindness. Today’s scripture lets us know that we can acknowledge our anxious (sad) feelings while also acknowledging the good (thanksgiving) in our lives, “but in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests be made known to God”. It’s healthy to acknowledge that you want a new home while thanking God for the home you have.  It’s healthy to acknowledge the good in your spouse while praying for God to help them become the man/woman that He has created them to be. Being thankful gives you the energy to wait on God to answer your requests or navigate the disappointment of a No.

• Somebody is praying for the life you already have. Making the decision to be thankful for the good, especially in difficult and unpleasant times, helps you to broaden your understanding of what you must be thankful for.  In my experience, when I have felt like I have nothing to be thankful for, the Lord has brought to my mind that I can be thankful for the ability to see, hear, walk, talk, read and write.  I have taken time out in prayer to thank Him for appliances that are working, bills that have been paid, food in my refrigerator and clothes on my back.  Just like the old gospel song says, “It could have been me outdoors with no food and no clothes”. Be thankful! When we realize that we are owed absolutely nothing in this world, we realize that the good really does outweigh the sad in our lives.  Job said, Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return there.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.  (Job 1: 21, NAS)

• When I realize that the blessings in my life are a responsibility, I will not have time to be overwhelmed by my disappointments. Luke 12:48 says, To whom much is given, much is required. When we correctly calculate all our many blessings, we understand also that responsibility is attached to those blessings. Since God has blessed me with a home I must clean it ? and be open to how He wants me to use it to bless others?  Since God has blessed me with a car, let me take care of it and be diligent about using it to bless others?  When you have an accurate estimation of what you must be thankful for, now the hard work begins in making time to care for it and be open to how God wants you to use it. I guarantee you will not have as much time to focus on what is going wrong in your life because you will be consumed with managing what is going right.

My prayer for you is that as you are navigating and being present in your sad feelings, you will make the commitment to be thankful as well.  You may want to write your blessings down in a journal or put them in a gratitude jar.  There all kinds of ways to remind yourself of your blessings. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).  While you are trusting God for things not seen, remember to look at the things seen and be thankful.

Community Reflection:  In the notes below, share practical ways that we can keep ourselves thankful in difficult times.  Share a story about how thankfulness kept you alive until your change came.

I do recognize that because of mental health issues (clinical depression, etc.), some people may still not able to shift their minds from depressive thoughts.  Please seek professional help.  There is nothing to be ashamed about.