Count your blessings

Even secular psychologists say it is healthy to count your blessings. Positive thoughts reduce tension and promote more than just a sense of well-being. Yet there is a danger in this. Sometimes “positive” people deny reality with a Pollyanna attitude that is unreal, even repulsive. No one can be happy, happy, happy all the time without others wondering about their mental state. 

However, and this is an important however, there is a way to lift myself out of a negative pit. If I am having a pity party and want to put a stop to it, being thankful will do it, even if offering thanks at first seems like a sacrifice.

O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:16–17)

Counting my blessings has to begin somewhere. For me, it is usually at the fact that God has forgiven my sin and saved my soul. Once I get started on these positive realities of life, I then begin to think of other things that I can be thankful for, like health, my place in life, and that God loves me. Like the psalmist, I even say thanks for renewed strength and for the many times God has helped me rise above my problems.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:2–5)

Last night, I started a new gratitude journal. For a few years, I’d filled the pages of a notebook, but then set it aside. I now realize that thanksgiving is a disciple I need to practice all the time. Some find being thankful is easy, but I do not, so having a journal on my night table reminds me to reflect on the day and thank God for it.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

Doing the will of God may involve a to-do list, but it also involves having a joyful heart (no pity parties), offering continual prayer, and being thankful all the time, no matter what is happening.

Gratitude should be easy

While cleaning a closet yesterday, I found my mother’s diaries and a prayer calendar. It had requests for various countries and people groups with a few lines to write in prayers. In almost all of them, mother began her notes with, “Yes, I pray for these people. . . .” and in almost all, she expressed thanks for something in her life.

I did not inherit that gene.

Being thankful is more than simple good manners. It is understanding that God is the source of all things and because He is wise and good, I should give thanks for all things. For some, this is easy. Like my mother, thankful people seem to be predisposed to gratitude with some sort of built-in thankful mechanism. For me, this is a discipline.

From reading Scripture and personal experience, I’ve noticed that when anyone (myself included) begins to turn from God, the first thing to go is thankfulness. This does not mean that all thankful people are in right relationship with God, nor that those who seldom give thanks are not. Rather, in a general sense, when I have stopped saying thanks, something is wrong in my spiritual life.

Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. (Psalm 107:8–9)

I know for fact that if I complained less and praised more, I would be happier and God would be more glorified. Yet in my flesh, that is, in my natural self, I tend to be a complainer. As an idealist, nothing is ever perfect and without the filling of the Holy Spirit, I tend to focus on the imperfections, forgetting that grumbling ruins my testimony of God’s goodness and power.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world . . .  (Philippians 2:14–15)

Grouchy complaining is easy. Anyone can do that. As a child of God, I’m supposed to display the changes He has brought to my life. One of them is a sense of humility, knowing that I have been given a treasure in the Lord Jesus Christ that I do not deserve. Humble people praise God.

Complainers also forget who is in charge. Instead of believing God is in control and is wise in all He does, my griping reflects doubt or dissatisfaction. This goes deeper than not appreciating the stuff of life; it is griping against my sovereign God who provides for me. Really, who do I think I am?

A few years ago I began a “gratitude journal” where each evening I record what I am grateful for. This is a discipline to develop gratitude, yet sometimes my expressions are far too external. I’m certain that God wants me to be thankful from the heart with a genuine sense of gratitude, not just going through the motions.

I can daily praise Him for common mercies, like food, clothing, shelter. I can be grateful for eyes to see, ears to hear, health and strength to do daily tasks, good food, clothing, a nice place to live. I can be grateful for my lot in life and for my family, friends and neighbors. I can also thank Him for liberty, our church, our country and so many gracious and abundant blessings.

For some reason (my pride?) these mercies are more difficult to be satisfied with. The easier praise flows from my heart for God’s redeeming love, for salvation, for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on my behalf. No matter what else happens, I am totally grateful that God pulled me out of darkness and into the light of His kingdom. I am humbled and blessed that I live in an eternal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Actually, this should be the sweetest and the loudest song of praise. Even if my eyes fail, ears cannot hear, body shuts down, food and friends are gone, liberty is taken and our country overrun with enemies, nothing can take away the love of God from me. I know that if all good things drop out of my life, He never will.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31–39)

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Lord, the discipline of praise should not be a discipline but an overflow of Your Spirit in me. Break in me the source and cause of my complaining and release in me the sweet Spirit of praise — so that instead of focusing on what I think is best, my life more easily gives glory to You.

Prescriptions for Anxiety

One of my in-laws worries and grumbles. One Christmas I made and sent to her a thankful calendar. It is a 30-day with pages like a flip chart. Each day has a suggestion of something to be thankful for, everything from God’s care to the voice of songbirds.

Being thankful helped the in-law. I also keep a personal “gratitude” journal because I know from experience that a lifetime of being negative takes a toll on a person’s health and doesn’t do much for relationships. Besides, worry does little for the concerns and more harm than good.

That is one reason the Bible says not to worry about anything, “but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). The rest of the verse says that God will give me peace, even if He does not take away the problems that are my focus of worry.

The words in this verse are important. For instance, supplication is a special word for an imploring request. Of course anyone who is fearful easily makes those kinds of requests because they want God to avert those worrisome evils.

Another important word is “thanksgiving” which does not come out as easily as the imploring request. When I am fearful and worried, I also tend to be in a state of doubt about God wanting the best for me, or at the least, I am discontent. To approach God in a spirit of thanksgiving instead of worry is unnatural. Even being asked to do this forces me to consider what is going on that I can be thankful about. Thinking about being thankful is the first step to actually doing it.

For starters, I know that God promised not to allow anything into my life that will be too much for me to bear. He has already shown me this is true and His Word affirms it. 

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

I also know His promise to work out everything for my good, not the “feel good” kind of good, but that good of being more like Jesus. 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:28-29)

The process of being made to conform to the image of Christ is not always fun, but there is joy in the results. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:10 that the God of all grace called me to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, and after I have suffered a while, He will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle me.

Because I know that trials are within the sovereign power of God and that He uses them to make me a better person, then in those trials I can “cast all my care upon Him, for He cares for me” (1 Peter 5:7). I can be thankful that in His providence, nothing is wasted. He is perfecting me, and the glory He will receive from accomplishing His will is a good thing. So regardless of the trials, fears, or worries, I still can pray with thanksgiving.

Thankfulness includes people

For the past few weeks I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal. Each night I write (in point form) those things for which I am thankful. After reading the devotional verses and thoughts from Truth for Today this morning, I’m afraid to go back and look at my journal entries.

The reading didn’t outright say it, but I have the distinct impression that whatever a person is thankful for says much about the condition of their spirit before God.

Here is the Scripture passage for today:

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. (Philippians 1:3-7)

Paul was thankful for the people he worked with, had fellowship with, including those he knew had made only an initial commitment to Jesus Christ. He was also thankful for those who prayed for him, and for all who were members of the family of God by grace. There is no mention here, or elsewhere in the Bible, that he ever thanked God for good food, a nice home, or any material things. Paul was thankful for what lasts forever, including the grace of God and the souls of people. I’m not sure my list has the same priorities.

The reading today convicts me too. I’ve rewritten it in a personalized way, which is how God speaks to me using these words.

A thankful heart is essential for true spiritual service. If I am trying to serve the Lord without gratitude in my heart for what He’s done for me, then I am serving in the flesh with improper motives. When I am thankful, I realize that God has a cause for everything that happens, so I will not grumble. But if I am serving externally, legalistically, or ritualistically I will not find very many things to appreciate because I am not grateful for the things God has already done for me.

Do I have a thankful heart? Am I overwhelmed with thanksgiving for what God has done? If I am, then I will be free from bitterness or resentment toward God or anyone else.

I have much to be thankful for, but I am aware that the devil often tempts me by saying, “You deserve better than that. . . .” When he does, I must make sure that I remember how much God has done, including putting me into His family who also serve Him and making them part of my life and ministry.

I know that God wants me to be thankful for the temporary stuff too, but my list needs to reflect what I know about eternity. If my focus is only on the here and now, it could mean that I’m becoming self-indulgent about the blessings and need to get my priorities back in line with His.