Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

“Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by…

When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings, money cannot buy

Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.”

Johnson Oatman

The world has developed many coping mechanisms for its struggles—some good, many not so good. We are told to be “positive”, “honest with our emotions”, and “self-compassionate.” While these may have some positive effects, they are a temporary cure. Only Christ can breathe life into our naturally broken soul. But what I’ve learned more and more is that people’s primary coping mechanism really isn’t positivity and compassion—it’s ingratitude and complaining. Think about it: what do you do when something happens to leave you angry, annoyed, hurt, confused, or stressed? If you’re like me, you want someone to know. Not just anyone, but someone who will sympathize with you and affirm that your reaction is understandable. It helps for a little while, but then the gnawing memory returns and you become more bitter than before.

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Those are three huge commands, and what’s more, we are told they are God’s will for us. Joy, prayer, and gratitude are inseparable from each other and from our lives as Christians. No, our lives might not be perfect. We might be broken from the troubles of life on a fallen world and desperate for an answer to the questions we are facing. But none of this should subtract from our gratitude to the Lord for the incredible things He has done. His character should inspire in us such overwhelming thankfulness that we cannot be crushed by the temporary burdens of life. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”

Living with a heart of gratitude makes us aware of how big our God is and how small our problems are, giving us strength to face the future. But gratitude is more than a coping mechanism; it isn’t just a helpful tactic to guard against negativity. Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” Gratitude isn’t about us. It’s our act of worship and service to the Lord. Imagine how thankful Noah must have been when he finally set foot on dry land after over a year of life on the arc. But he didn’t build an altar because it would make him feel better. He built it as a tribute to the faithfulness of the Lord.

During the month of June, I invite you to join me in 30 Days of Gratitude—one month of intentional thankfulness to the Father who has given us everything. Every night, consider two questions:

1. What am I most grateful for today?
2. What will I strive to find joy in tomorrow?

Write your answers on a sticky note, index card, or that extra napkin from Sonic, and put it on top of your phone before bed. When you wake up, read your reminder of gratitude, and commit to worshiping God with your thanks that day.

Cultivating a heart of thanksgiving requires the work of God in our life, but it also requires intentionality on our part. We must remember who God is and what He has done to trust His faithfulness today. God is bigger than your problems. He’s bigger than your health crises. He’s bigger than your conflictual relationships. He’s bigger than your unknown future. He’s bigger than your stretched finances. He’s bigger than the walls surrounding you. And not only is He bigger than your tallest giant, He’s better than your greatest blessing.

Paul writes in Colossians 2:6-7, “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” Overflowing with gratitude…how many of us can say that phrase describes our life on a daily basis? But if we have been rescued from death and been undeservedly granted eternal life, what have we to be ungrateful about? I pray that my heart and actions will be led by the truth of 2 Corinthians 2:14: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” In every place, we have Christ. So be thankful on the mountain and be thankful in the valley—He is working them both for your good.

“In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison