Finding Gratitude

Scripture:

"Our Fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember Your abundant kindnesses. But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea." Psalm 106: 7

Observation:

A lack of gratitude opens the door for rebellion. A lack of understanding leads to a lack of gratitude. Not living intentionally leads to a lack of understanding. A lack of knowledge leads to not living intentionally.

Application:

Things rarely happen in isolation. There is almost always a chain of events that lead up to an outcome. I have a bad habit of only focusing on the outcome or the circumstances that I face. That is an exhausting habit and leads me nowhere. I need to learn to dig into things before they result in an outcome or I find myself in a circumstance that is painful.

The first place I need to start is with my knowledge. There are so many things that I do not know. My knowledge of God and His ways must be developed. Not just Sunday school type information of God, but a true knowledge of who God is, how He works, what He expects of me and what I can expect as a reward. 99% of the frustration I experience in life is almost always tied back to me misunderstanding something related to this list of questions.

Once I have knowledge, I need to live intentionally with it. Having knowledge of something is of no value. None. Not a bit. It is intentionally putting into practice the things I know that brings value to my knowledge. Class room knowledge of a subject is always easier to accept than is the application of that knowledge in the real world.

As I start to live intentionally with the knowledge that I have, I must then walk in understanding. This is best done by paying attention to the bigger picture. This is hard to do. It is difficult to stand in the midst of hardships and not get aggravated. Most of the time I just want it to go away. But this is a bad way to live. Hardships are a given in this life. Any teaching that leads me to think that following God leads to a life free of struggles and trials is a lie. When I live looking at the bigger picture; I can truly understand what God has done around me. I also can keep in mind that this life is not the end. It is not home. Everything that I gain in this world will be lost. Everything I lose in this life for the sake of God will be gained in the world to come. There is not a single thing that I face in life that God does not use to better my eternity.

This type of understanding inevitably leads to gratitude. Every aspect of my life works better when I live with gratitude. An ungrateful heart is a weary load to bear for both me and everyone around me. There are few things in my life that are more destructive than a lack of gratitude. When I think back, most of the trouble I get myself into is tied back to me reacting to internal anger that I feel when gratitude is absent from my life. Living in this manner is my safeguard to rebellion.

Rebellion against God is rarely a choice. It is a result of choices that have already been made. It is an outcome that is determined by the beliefs I have and decisions I make based on those beliefs. When I get to a point in life where there is a great deal of frustration, I need to learn to recognize that I am more than likely sideways with God and I need to make adjustments to my thinking.

Prayer:

This past week I have been reminded of just how impossible it is for me to believe in you or have knowledge of Your ways. Without the working of Your Holy Spirit, there is simply no way that I can comprehend anything about You. I pray that You continue to open my heart and mind to Your truth. Let You word continue to come alive before me that I may grow in my knowledge of You. I commit to You this morning to live intentionally with that knowledge. I do not desire to live any other way than to make each day count. Help me to see the bigger picture and live a depth of understanding that produces gratitude in my heart. Not just a superficial gratitude that is based on good things happening, but a depth of gratitude that can withstand the trials of life and keep my heart happy and my lifestyle healthy.