Gratitude

Gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB

'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. '

Day 176: Overflowing in Gratitude

Colossians 2:4-7 NLT

For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

         How do we become overflowing with thankfulness? This question will eventually drive you to begin to see God’s beauty in absolutely everything. Honestly, it really is not a difficult process, but it is a process that requires discipline in ways that are not considered mainstream or hip in our culture today.

         One of the greatest difficulties about being a teacher is the mandate of standardized testing. In elementary school we test students on average 2-3 times per week across multiple subject areas. This seems unrealistic and extremely unfair. I have said it multiple times in my career and will likely say it again, I just want to teach. Needless to say, it is easy to jump on a train of thought that creates anxiety, loathing, and begrudging attitudes that do not serve the students and their mental and emotional well-being.

         So, what does one do when everything seems to be working against you and your attitude about things suck, you learn how to be grateful and express that gratitude. The other day in the midst of prepping for our next onslaught of standardized testing, I told the students I was thankful for the testing. They all looked at me like I had lost all my marbles and went completely crazy. Yet I continued and I explained to them that I was thankful for the opportunity that they were going to be given to show what they know to a different group of people than normal. Then, I continued to list additional ways of being thankful for the onslaught of testing ahead of us, in that it is preparing them for life… in that life does not stop… we can’t give up when things get hard or even mundane, we have to continue to push ourselves to new heights and be disciplined in our approach to everything. I expressed my gratitude in that we got the opportunity to practice accomplishing challenging things together before life takes them away from me in a few short weeks.

         I was thankful for each and every moment I spent with them in my classroom and expressed the idea that our time together was short, and I wanted to make the absolute most out of that time together. Being thankful for my students and all the testing helps them prepare their hearts and minds for what is coming in their lives. It is important for us to model that for our students.

         Moreso, this scripture models the same ideas for us. It starts with longing for connection, rejoicing in the goodness of life and that faith is growing, a spur to continue forward and press onward towards the goals of the gospel, growing in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, building your life upon His glory, grace, and truth, and finally OVERFLOWING with thankfulness.  We have to learn how to be overflowing with gratitude.

Dear Grateful Father,

         We are grateful for so much in our lives that comes from You Jesus. Yet I like many others, often fall very short of expressing my gratitude. Jesus, Thank You for everything in my life. You have become my life, and yet I still find ways of struggling through and not expressing gratitude. So, Father, please help my heart and mind become disciplined enough to express the depths of my gratitude for everything. I am humbled by Your presence, and I am thankful that You are using discipline to bring forth these devotions. I pray that one soul is reached for Your glory and grace and that this work honors You and all You have done in my life. Let others be encouraged and seek gratitude through the work of this devotion even though life is difficult and situations feel hopeless and mundane at times. Jesus, grant us the ability to be grateful in all circumstances in such quantities that we would overflow with thanksgiving for everything in our lives. Thank You Jesus, for You have done so much more than we could ever deserve. In Christ Jesus’s name I pray, amen.