Editor’s note: Today’s devotion is one session of Jesus Calling: Practicing Thankfulness by Sarah Young. Pause and think through the questions and journal your answers. There’s no better time than now to plunge into gratitude no matter what is going on in your life right now. Thankfulness changes you!
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How’s your posture?
That may seem like an odd question, but spiritually speaking, it’s worth thinking about.
Do you practice a posture of thankfulness no matter what or who you’re up against? Or are you more likely to be grateful only when life is going your way?
Acquiring a habit of thanking God for the good things that happen in your life isn’t all that hard. But making it a practice to thank God for your trials, your problems, and the things that distress you comes only with discipline. Yet this is a good discipline to develop — no matter how difficult it may be — for the Bible tells every child of God to count their trials as joyful and to give thanks in all things.
In this session, you will explore the reasons why God gives us this seemingly counterintuitive instruction. You will also strive to begin to develop — or to keep exercising — this posture for yourself.
1. What is one trial you are currently facing? (It could be a physical ailment, a problem at work, a challenge in your family — anything that isn’t going the way you wish it would.)
2. How have you seen God working in the midst of this trial? What have you been learning from the experience for which you can be grateful?
- Make friends with the problems in your life.
Though many things feel random and wrong, remember that I am sovereign over everything. I can fit everything into a pattern for good, but only to the extent that you trust Me. Every problem can teach you something, transforming you little by little into the masterpiece I created you to be. The very same problem can become a stumbling block over which you fall, if you react with distrust and defiance.
The choice is up to you, and you will have to choose many times each day whether to trust Me or defy Me.
The best way to befriend your problems is to thank Me for them. This simple act opens your mind to the possibility of benefits flowing from your difficulties. You can even give persistent problems nicknames, helping you to approach them with familiarity rather than with dread. The next step is to introduce them to Me, enabling Me to embrace them in My loving Presence. I will not necessarily remove your problems, but My wisdom is sufficient to bring good out of every one of them.
~ From Jesus Calling, March 5
3. What are some reasons you should “make friends” with your problems?
4. Would you say you typically react to problems with trust, defiance, or some other attitude? Think about how you are responding to a current problem in your life. Why are you leaning toward that particular reaction?
Thank Me for your problems. As soon as your mind gets snagged on a difficulty, bring it to Me with thanksgiving. Then ask Me to show you My way to handle the situation.
The very act of thanking Me releases your mind from its negative focus.
As you turn your attention to Me, the problem fades in significance and loses its power to trip you up. Together we can deal with the situation, either facing it head-¬ on or putting it aside for later consideration.
Most of the situations that entangle your mind are not today’s concerns; you have borrowed them from tomorrow. In this case, I lift the problem out of today and deposit it in the future, where it is veiled from your eyes. In its place I give you My Peace, which flows freely from My Presence.
~ From Jesus Calling, May 11
5. What role can consistent thanksgiving play in the process of dealing with a problem?
6. Think of some of the problems that have been on your mind lately. Would you say these are problems for today or for tomorrow? What should you do if any of them are “borrowed... from tomorrow”?
Read aloud the following passages from James 1 and Philippians 4. Note that the word “perseverance” in James 1:4 refers to the ability to hold up under the stress of your difficult circumstances with a right spiritual posture. The term “gentleness” in Philippians 4:5 refers to the habit of withholding retaliation against those who insult or harm you.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. — James 1:2–4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:4–7
7. According to James, why especially should the people of God rejoice when facing trials? How easy or hard is that for you to do?
8. Notice in Philippians 4:4–7 what Paul told us to do in response to trials. Why is this such an important response?
9. What is the connection between thanksgiving and peace? What would your response consist of if you left out the rejoicing and the thanksgiving?
10. Think of the last time you practiced being thankful in your circumstances. What impact did it have on you?
11. Reread Philippians 4:4–7. Then take two minutes of silence, looking for a sentence, phrase, or even one word that stands out as an adjustment that Jesus may want you to make regarding your “thankfulness posture.”
12. What ideas do you have for improving your spiritual posture before the next trial comes your way? (Make acting on these ideas a daily priority!)
Excerpted with permission from Jesus Calling: Practicing Thankfulness by Sarah Young, copyright Jesus Calling Foundation.
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Your Turn
Bring whatever you’re going through right now to Jesus. If your posture isn’t great right now, ask Him to help you persevere and foster gratitude. He will help! ~ Devotionals Daily