Thankfulness. Wow. I get it now.

I thought all the talk about gratitude was faddish.

Practicing gratitude was more stuff along the lines of “the Universe is a nameless force and we are anonymous creatures within it. But we’ve got this spiritual bent and we must survive, so let’s pursue wisdom and spirituality for their survival benefits. A technique that works is gratitude. Practice it and you’ll live better and longer.”

Ug. I hate modern man-as-the-point spirituality.

Recently I realized I was doing the same thing—with a different twist.

In the daily devotional, Jesus Calling, the Author put words in the mouth of Jesus to teach a point:

A thankful mind-set keeps you in touch with Me. I hate it when My children grumble, casually despising My sovereignty.

Ouch.

That was me. I “grumbled” all the time in my thoughts about how my life wasn’t ideal, why I was afraid and unhappy, how someone—less deserving—had a better life…on and on. I passed it off as me trying to do better, working to improve, and striving to make the life God gave me measure up to more miraculous standards.

Needless to say, my thoughts led me into a dark funk frequently.

“Thanking” my way out of the funk seemed—false. I knew God would see right through me trying some technique to medicate myself.

But the Jesus Calling statement shed a different light. My grumbling thoughts (to “better” myself) were actually:

• Words of judgment about God. Pronuouncing what He had provided as not good enough.
• Me making myself god and saying I could do better.
• Distrusting God.
• Making God out to be some impossible-to-please taskmaster.
• Saying worldly circumstances were apart from, not inhabited by God.
• Concluding my life was bad and I was mad.

More man-as-the-point spirituality.

I was “casually despising” the sovereignty of God.  And causing Jesus pain.

Deep ouch.

I began a campaign to change my thinking. I decided to be thankful—always. To express my gratitude continually to God, as a way of bringing Him joy and trusting His orchestrations of my life.

Differences I’ve noticed already:

• I’m lighter, more open. People approach me, talk to me more.
• I can see possibilities around me I couldn’t see before.
• Being less the judge and jury of my life, I’m more willing to try new things.
• I second-guess myself less. I let things be as they are and wait to see what evolves.

I spend less time in dark dissatisfaction.  No time, in fact.

Gratitude is key.

Practicing it wholeheartedly brings Jesus down close.

That is everything.

© 2011 by Gloria Rose.

Advertisement