Being able to ‘see God in every circumstance’ has a lot to do with developing a grateful heart. Often when I am in a situation that is difficult to understand, or one of my children or grandchildren is experiencing something that is hard; I begin my prayer with thanksgiving rather than a request. I begin by rehearsing what I know about God and His character—"thank You that You have brought this trial into my life to teach me more of who You are…thank you that You have designed this experience my loved one is going through to draw her close to You…thank You that You have a purpose and plan for everything that you allow to touch our lives—the difficulties as well as the joys…thank You that You are well able to handle any problem because You have a purpose and plan for each one…etc. This helps to set my mind and thoughts on Him who promised that ‘He has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him’ 2 Pet. 1:3. O, Lord, I pray that You will train my heart to respond to all that happens in my life with a grateful spirit! Amen!!!"
I am currently reading Nancy Leigh DeMoss’ book, Choosing Gratitude—Your Journey to Joy. I want to share a few of the thoughts I’m gleaning, hoping to whet your appetite to read the book!
Gratitude is a choice! If our lives begin to feel hard, hopeless or overwhelming it may be that we need to see if we are harboring an ungrateful attitude. If we see signs of worry, complaining, resentment, anger or bitterness, negativity, doubt, discouragement or anxiety; we must run to the life preserver of gratitude! Nancy says, ‘Over time, choosing gratitude means choosing joy. But that choice doesn’t come without effort and intentionality. It’s a choice that requires constantly renewing my mind with the truth of God’s Word, setting my heart to savor God and His gifts, and disciplining my tongue to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace—until a grateful spirit becomes my reflexive response to all of life.’
Our emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical well-being as well as the health and stability of our relationships are greatly determined by having a grateful heart. In an interview, a theologian Dr. Wayne Gruden responded to the question of vulnerability to discouragement by saying, “I don’t often become discouraged. I continue to see evidence of God’s work in my life and in the lives of those around me, and I am simply overwhelmed with thankfulness to Him.” We can look for evidences of God’s hand at work even in the midst of turmoil and be ‘simply overwhelmed with thankfulness to Him.’
Gratitude is vital and it is transformational to our lives! It is one of the chief ways that God infuses joy and resilience into the daily struggles of life.
Come to think of it, nothing makes a person more unattractive than the absence of a grateful spirit. And the consequences of an ungrateful heart can be as contagious as a deadly disease. Often we blame or build resentment against others for the grief we are experiencing. We blame God and ask, ‘why me?’ We become self-focused. Nancy says, “But true, Christ-centered, grace motivated gratitude fits everywhere, even in life’s most desperate moments and difficult situations. Even when there are no ‘answers’, it gives hope. It transforms overwhelmed strugglers into triumphant conquerors.”
From Romans 1, we see that from ingratitude a host of other sins grow. Verse 21 says, ‘they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him…’ Ingratitude is our first step away from God into hideous sin.
I’ll conclude with eight biblical reasons for choosing to have a grateful heart:
• It is a matter of obedience to God—Psa. 50:14, ‘Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and perform your vows to the Most High.’
• It draws us close to Him—Psa. 22:3 kjv, ‘God inhabits the praises of His people’.
• It is a sure path to peace—Phil. 4:6, 7, ‘Do not be anxious for anything, 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 understanding, will guard your minds in Christ Jesus.’
• It tells you where your heart is—Psa. 140:13, ‘Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name.’
• It is the will of God—1 Thess. 5:18 ‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.’
• It is an evidence of being filled with the spirit—Eph. 5:18-20, Be filled with the Spirit. ‘Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.’
• It reflects the heart of Jesus—Luke 10:21, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth…’ John 11:41 ‘I thank You that You have heard Me…’ (among many examples).
• It gets us ready for heaven—Rev. 4:8, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’
John 15:10,11 reveals Jesus heart: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed My father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” And we are told in 1 Tim 6:17 that God ‘richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.’
He wants us to be joy filled and He will give it abundantly as we develop grateful hearts to Him!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Seeing God in the Changing Seasons of our Lives
I saw a leaf fall from a tree outside my window this morning and it reminded me that another season is passing—a new one on its way.
I thought back on the seasons of my life—formative years that laid the foundation for marriage, parenting, the empty nest and now, the senior years.
The questions I ask myself as I think back on these seasons of life are:
1. What are some of the important lessons I have learned through these Seasons?
2. As I have walked through these Seasons, what have I done that will count for eternity? What purposes were fulfilled?
3. Every day I am given is a gift from God. How have I invested those ‘gifts’? More importantly, do I see God’s involvement in each of the happenings in my life? And, am I leaving a heritage for my children, grandchildren and others as they pass through on their journey?
I am very aware that the seasons of this journey are not about me—they’re about God and His purposes. I am currently reading “The Grand Weaver” by Ravi Zacharias—how God shapes us through the events of our lives. Or we might refer to them as the seasons of our lives. He says:
The stages of the refining process of the diamond suggest many applications for our own lives. The most important is to know that God shapes the precious life He saves and does so for a special purpose.’
I was deeply challenged a few years ago when I heard the message of the song, “Leave a Well in the Valley”. Here are the lyrics:
To the valley you’ve been through
those around you must go too
down the rocky path you travel they will go.
If to those facing your same trial
you’ll lend the secret of your smile
you will help them more than you will ever know.
Chorus:
Leave a well in the valley
your dark and lonesome valley
for others have to walk that valley too
what a blessing they will find
the well of JOY you’ve left behind
leave a well in the valley you go through.
Blessed is the man who has learned to understand
He’s to be the hand of God to those in need
then all the tears that you have shed
with God’s help become instead
a precious balm for those hearts that bleed.
Throughout the seasons of my life I pray that others will find the well of joy I’ve left behind; and that my tears will become a precious balm to hearts that are hurting.
Another more familiar song is Steve Green’s “Find us Faithful”:
We’re pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
and those who’ve gone before us lead the way
cheering on the faithful; encouraging the weary
their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace.
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
that has run the race not only for the prize
but as those who’ve gone before us,
let us leave to those behind us
the heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives.
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
and our children sift through all we’ve left behind
may the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
become the light that leads them to the road we all must find.
Chorus: O may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
may the footprints that we leave,
lead them to believe
and the life we’ve lived inspire them to obey
O, may all who come behind us find us faithful.
I am more convinced than ever that this life is about seeing God in each season of my life; and trusting Him to keep me faithfully walking with Him as an example for others who will follow. May He find us all faithful!!! Without Him it’s impossible.
Find Us Faithful by Steve Green
I thought back on the seasons of my life—formative years that laid the foundation for marriage, parenting, the empty nest and now, the senior years.
The questions I ask myself as I think back on these seasons of life are:
1. What are some of the important lessons I have learned through these Seasons?
2. As I have walked through these Seasons, what have I done that will count for eternity? What purposes were fulfilled?
3. Every day I am given is a gift from God. How have I invested those ‘gifts’? More importantly, do I see God’s involvement in each of the happenings in my life? And, am I leaving a heritage for my children, grandchildren and others as they pass through on their journey?
I am very aware that the seasons of this journey are not about me—they’re about God and His purposes. I am currently reading “The Grand Weaver” by Ravi Zacharias—how God shapes us through the events of our lives. Or we might refer to them as the seasons of our lives. He says:
The stages of the refining process of the diamond suggest many applications for our own lives. The most important is to know that God shapes the precious life He saves and does so for a special purpose.’
I was deeply challenged a few years ago when I heard the message of the song, “Leave a Well in the Valley”. Here are the lyrics:
To the valley you’ve been through
those around you must go too
down the rocky path you travel they will go.
If to those facing your same trial
you’ll lend the secret of your smile
you will help them more than you will ever know.
Chorus:
Leave a well in the valley
your dark and lonesome valley
for others have to walk that valley too
what a blessing they will find
the well of JOY you’ve left behind
leave a well in the valley you go through.
Blessed is the man who has learned to understand
He’s to be the hand of God to those in need
then all the tears that you have shed
with God’s help become instead
a precious balm for those hearts that bleed.
Throughout the seasons of my life I pray that others will find the well of joy I’ve left behind; and that my tears will become a precious balm to hearts that are hurting.
Another more familiar song is Steve Green’s “Find us Faithful”:
We’re pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
and those who’ve gone before us lead the way
cheering on the faithful; encouraging the weary
their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace.
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
that has run the race not only for the prize
but as those who’ve gone before us,
let us leave to those behind us
the heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives.
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
and our children sift through all we’ve left behind
may the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
become the light that leads them to the road we all must find.
Chorus: O may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
may the footprints that we leave,
lead them to believe
and the life we’ve lived inspire them to obey
O, may all who come behind us find us faithful.
I am more convinced than ever that this life is about seeing God in each season of my life; and trusting Him to keep me faithfully walking with Him as an example for others who will follow. May He find us all faithful!!! Without Him it’s impossible.
Find Us Faithful by Steve Green
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