Godly Things We Should Do… And It’s Hard! Part 2 of 4 - Being Grateful

Continuing with the 4 part series…

Specific things I can pinpoint that I didn’t obey are 

1. Forgiveness

2. Being Grateful

3. Loving Others

4. Compassion

Grateful.

What does Grateful really mean?

According to Google - Oxford languages

• Feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful.

• Received or experienced with gratitude; welcome

I think on the surface it’s easy to show and feel gratefulness, but do we feel it and show it even when it’s hard? I know I sure don’t, or at least haven’t in the past. I’m trying to do better.

When things are going well in our lives, when all things are just clicking; our car is working in tip top shape, the kids are healthy and thriving in school and/or at home, our relationships are in a good place, our marriage is easy and firing on all cylinders… everything is just easy breezy. Being grateful in those moments is easy, but are we showing our gratitude to God? I don’t know about you, I sure didn’t always praise God in those moments. Sometimes I would, but when life is easy we tend to get in a state of taking things for granted. Even taking God for granted.

I have been a “use God when I needed him” type of person; usually when my life wasn’t going well or when things were in disarray. Being grateful in those moments… Now that is a test. I have learned that even in the mess I can see the good. Even in those moments of sadness, of pain, of not understanding why… I can see the good. And I think that when you get closer to Jesus, when you let Jesus into your heart and declare that he is the way, the truth, and the light, that’s when you can see the good. If you couldn’t before. 

Maybe before you could see it, but you didn’t give thanks for it. You didn’t show gratitude for the mess you were in, for what God was preparing you for. It’s hard to see it at the moment.

I have been put into some pretty scary, sad, and messed up situations. Now I can see that God was preparing me. He was testing me, he was calling on me to still praise him even in the bad times, even when I couldn’t understand.

Stay with me real quick here… 

Have you ever gone through things in life and wondered “God! Why me? Why am I going through this? Why do I have to deal with this situation? Why did these people come into my life? WHY?” 

God knew that you could handle this battle. He called on you because he knew that you would survive, that you would thrive and come out stronger than you were before. Watch and really listen to the video below. Original post https://www.instagram.com/p/C5PRYxxv5uT/

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ac9a35_f6b1a6e8c5364837aab6003ca5072b92/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

That video is so powerful. When I heard that it got me fired up for God and made me thank Him for all of those things I couldn’t understand. It made me realize that God is so much bigger than our tiny brains can even comprehend. He sees and knows all. He knew that I could make it through, he knew that he could trust me… even if I was broken in my path. Even if my heart was hardened. He knew!

Ok back to the original discussion 😆

Showing God our gratitude in the mess is just as important as showing him our gratitude in the easy. I think it’s worth more in the mess. While I’m standing on the side of the road because my car died and I’m trying to get ahold of someone to help rescue me, I’m going to thank God. I’m going to say “God thank you for giving me breath this morning. Thank you for giving me people in my life I can call to help me. Thank you for everything you have done and given to me. Help me through this tough spot, I give all my fears and worries to you. Thank you!”

Will it be easy? No. I’ll have to remember to take a breath. Take time to remember that we are not going to learn anything from a nice easy breezy life. That’s what the devil (the enemy) wants us to think. He wants us to be so comfortable in our nice cushy lives that any wrong thing will make us angry with God, will make us question, why me? Why this situation? This is bullcrap. If you are real, why am I going through turmoil?

I challenge you to show your gratitude in your next mess.

Take the time to breathe.

Thank God for all the blessings in your life.

Everything that is right, and ask for help with the one thing (or multiple things) that is going wrong.

Dive into the Word this weekend.

Take the time to really talk to Him.

If it helps make a list of all the things you are grateful for.

Let him know that you are grateful for them, that you give him all the glory and praise for these blessings in your life.

Then write down what you need help with. What is bothering you? What is happening that is making you question or be upset? Ask him to take this from you. To help you get through it. To show you the way. To get you to the other side.

I pray that you have a blessed weekend and that if you find yourself in a mess, that you are able to be grateful for all the other things that are good and right. 🤎