Gratitude: Grumbling or Grateful?

Gratitude: Grumbling or Grateful?

by Marilynn Chadwick Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2 ESV Thankful. Just one little word was printed in small letters across the front of the woman's t-shirt. But for some reason, it caught my attention. I think it was the period at the end of what wasn't even a sentence. Thankful. I guess you could read it this way: "Thankful, period." I would like that to be me. I'm thankful. Period. But I have to confess. Sometimes I am less than thankful. Perhaps it's because I'm not paying attention to all the blessings in my path. Or maybe I sometimes take God's benefits for granted. I was jolted out of this spiritual lethargy by something a minister from Africa once said when speaking to a church gathering. He was a genocide survivor from Burundi and had seen more death and destruction than I could comprehend. "Do you have all your arms and legs—your limbs?" he asked us. "Then you are blessed!" "Do you have your eyes, your sense of hearing, your ability to speak?" "Then praise God and give him thanks. Rejoice and count your amazing blessings!" he exclaimed. From his perspective, it was an incredible blessing simply to be alive. Healthy. Not maimed by war. Reasons to rejoice! Stop and think for a minute. Reflect on the many benefits you enjoy simply because you don't live in an area ravaged by war. Do you have all your limbs? Can you walk? Are you able to see and hear and talk? Then, as the African minister would say, "Rejoice at your great blessings!" Our congregation was deeply moved by the man's words and came alongside his organization to explore ways we could help rebuild their war-torn country. But there was a powerful, personal takeaway for me. His words made me want to become more intentional about being thankful to God each day for my many blessings. To resist complaining about petty annoyances. Next time we are tempted to grumble, let's pause and take a look at our hands and feet… and be thankful. Savor the ability to walk and see and hear. Let's be intentional to count the ways God has poured his grace upon us and "forget not all his benefits."

Gratitude: Remember Past Victories

by Marilynn Chadwick "Be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live." Deuteronomy 4:9a NIV Did you know the word "remember" is found in the Bible over 200 times? Failing to remember, or forgetfulness, quenches gratitude. Forgetting to be thankful also empties prayer of its power. It's easy to get caught up in the flurry of day-to-day life. We miss opportunities to pray and forget to notice answers when they do come. The Lord knows we drift to forgetfulness, so the Bible is brimming with reminders: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" (Colossians 4:2). There is more about praise in the Bible than prayer. Ancient Israel repeats the vicious cycle of worshiping God, followed by falling away whenever they forget his mighty miracles. God places blame squarely on Israel. He admonishes parents to teach their children to remember him—and his miracles. "Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them" (Deuteronomy 4:9). Why not think of ways to refresh your own memory? Try giving thanks throughout the day. You might notice a lifting of your mood. Apparently, these "feel good" responses have a physiological basis. Researchers found subjects who practiced sustained gratitude for just five minutes experienced a rise in the level of disease-fighting antibodies, lasting for over five hours! My friend's daughter Molly began writing in her "thank you book" each day. Finding only a few things at first, her daily list eventually numbered in the hundreds. Her family watched her change from a somewhat depressed teen to one whose faith and positive attitude inspired those who knew her. It helps to spend time remembering places where God has answered your prayers. Reminisce with family or friends about past victories. Better yet, start your own thank-you book. In Prince Caspian, book 2 of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, the children are a dangerous and grueling uphill climb. They're exhausted and ready to give up when they come to a cliff. They look down on a little town where they had once won a decisive victory. "By jove," said Edmund, "we fought the Battle of Beruna just where that town is!" This cheered the children more than anything." He adds, "You can't help feeling stronger when you look at a place where you won a glorious victory."

Gratitude: Weapon Against Worry

by Marilynn Chadwick "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done." Philippians 4:6 NLT A friend once confided she had to go into counseling because she was so worried about the escalating war in the Middle East. She lived in daily fear of terrorist attacks on US soil. She is an affluent, well-educated, suburban woman, far from any real conflict. But anxiety over the world situation overwhelmed her heart. That's the goal of terror. We've been talking about the power of gratitude this week. I'd like to suggest that giving thanks may be one of our best secret weapons against worry. I talked with a friend who actually lives and serves on the front line of war, providing relief to refugees. I asked him if he was afraid of terror attacks, which frequently happen in his area. The childlike simplicity of his answer startled me: "We've just learned to trust God for our protection." He said these words as calmly as I would have said, "I've learned to buckle my seat belt when driving to the grocery store." But it was his next comment that held the key: "God is doing amazing work among these refugees," he said with excitement. "Many are accepting Jesus. I praise God and give thanks as I see the refugee children reciting Bible verses and taking a bold stand for the Gospel." There wasn't a trace of worry in his voice—only gratitude. And joy. Most of us don't face daily threats from war. But fear and worry can still attack us right where we live. Perhaps we can take a lesson from my friend and simply trust God for his protection. Moreover, we can follow his example in our own neighborhoods as we step out boldly to share God's love with the broken around us. And as we see God at work, let's remember to pray and give thanks—then watch fear and worry flee. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).

Gratitude: The Power of One

by Marilynn Chadwick "He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done." Luke 17:16 NLT We can learn some lessons from a leper about being thankful. Let's look at the story of Jesus healing ten lepers. Only one came back to thank him. But there is much more to the story. Take a few minutes to reflect on this passage: As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance crying out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" He looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you" (Luke 17:11-19 NLT). Jesus instructed the ten men to visit the priest. According to Jewish law, a priest must perform the religious ritual for lepers to be pronounced cleansed. Miraculously, all ten lepers were healed—even before they got to the priest. But only one of them thanked Jesus. When the leper saw he was healed, he ran back to Jesus. He praised God and fell to the ground at Jesus's feet, lavishing him with thanksgiving. Jesus wonders that none of the others came back to thank him. Only one out of the ten. Only one gives glory to God. "Stand up… and go," Jesus tells the Samaritan leper. "Your faith has healed you." The word translated "healed" is "sozo," which can also mean "saved." It seems the man was also spiritually saved and acknowledged Jesus as Lord. This man was not only a leper but a despised Samaritan. A pagan, according to the Jews. Yet he was the only one out of ten. The one who gave God glory. Do you want to be the one? The one to notice when Jesus blesses you abundantly. To go back to Jesus and thank him—to give him glory. I want to be that one.

Gratitude: The Habit of Gratitude

by Marilynn Chadwick "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2 NIV I'd like to become more thankful for the small things in life. Easy to say—harder to do. That's why I'm focusing on being grateful for the everyday answers to prayer. It's easy to blow right past the ordinary blessings God sends each day. We move so fast. Who has time to drink in the magic of the blue sky? And when was the last time you took an extra minute to look into the eyes of your husband, or children, or friends? Get creative. Find ways to focus on being thankful. Here are a few practical tips: On your drive to school or work (or wherever it is that you go each day), find the most scenic route. Refresh your soul with a glimpse of beauty. I choose to travel up a tree-lined hill in our neighborhood and through back roads instead of getting on the main highway. It only adds about three minutes to my trip. Enjoy little breaks throughout the day. Studies recommend thirty minutes of sunshine daily to keep up our vitamin D supply. Why not pick a pretty spot? Take a book. Or go for a walk. Have a definite "quitting time" each day. I was always a big fan of early bedtimes when the kids were small. Make a date to watch Netflix or something fun with your spouse or a friend. Stop the work and savor some down time. Remember, rest is God's idea. Stop multi-tasking for just one day. A friend shared how a mentor helped her calm down her highly stressed life. Her best piece of advice, according to my busy friend, was simple. When working, learn to focus on each person or task with your whole attention. Research shows that the value of multi-tasking is an illusion—it's far less efficient than we think. Keep a thank-you book. List a few blessings at the end of your day. How many little blessings do you miss because you are sleepwalking, or worse, racing through life? Above all, when those tiny blessings come your way, pause and give thanks to the Lord. You'll find yourself becoming more watchful and even more thankful. And before you know it, you will have developed the habit of gratitude.