Have you noticed that trials come in waves?
Were you ever slapped in the face by an ocean wave? I sure have. I think the surprise of the wave is just as shocking as the slap. Trials have also slapped me around a little. It’s never fun to get slapped around. Trials are an opportunity to trust the Lord and obey His word. One opportunity within the trial is the chance to shift a test into a testimony. This requires faith.
Faith is the ability to see past the trial and enter into trust. And in the thrust of the trial, a great hack is to give thanks to God. We must remember, that God works all things together for our good. We often forget that God is working behind the scenes.
Germany Kent said, “It’s a funny thing about life; once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things you lack.”
Expressed gratitude is better than silent appreciation. When we fail to express our gratitude, we are equal to those who withhold their gratitude. The adage that an “attitude of gratitude” is enough is partially true. Gratitude does its best work in the open.
Have you ever wished you could snap your fingers and things would change instantly? That would be amazing. Right?
There are many ways to change our life, but snapping our fingers does not work. And If we had the opportunity to see things instantly change, we would not learn much, and we would also miss invaluable life lessons. Maybe, counting things as joy would help? I think so.
Life is often like a cake. Have you thought about the different ingredients of a cake? The flour is dry and chalky, the salt is bitter, and the butter alone is not so tasty. But when we mix the entire cake and add the icing, we have a delicacy.
Some seasons of life are similar to eating a single ingredient from the cake. Life has seasons that are challenging. If the glass is always half full, we become bitter. But when we add in the blessings, we find life more palatable.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (James 1:2–3, NKJV)
William George Jordan says, “Ingratitude is a crime more despicable than revenge, which only returns evil for evil, while ingratitude returns evil for good.” We cannot say that ingratitude is evil, but it is certainly not God’s best. God knows a life of “giving thanks” is the best way for the believer to live.
Gratitude makes everything better. Gratitude shifts our focus. Have you ever missed expressing gratitude for what you have because you wanted something better? I sure have.
Someone said, “many want joy, but few choose to rejoice.”
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NKJV)
If you work it, gratitude still works.
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