What Are Your Thoughts on Gratitude?
“To “give thanks to Him for all things,” is, indeed, a very difficult duty; for it includes giving thanks for trials of all kinds; for suffering and pain; for languor and weariness; for the crossing of our wills; for contradiction; for reproaches; for loneliness; for privations. Yet they who have learned submission will not find it a hard duty; for they will so entirely love all that God wills and appoints, that they will see it is the very best thing for them. Hereafter they will see all the links of the chain, and how wonderfully even those have fitted, which at the time seemed to have no adaptation or agreement. This belief enables them to praise Him, and give thanks now for each thing, assured that as it has been, so it will be–that the God of love will do all things well.” — Priscilla Maurice
[Tweet “We have all faced our measure of trials and sorrow but the Lord seems quite serious about His desire for us to be thankful – not just thankful, but thankful in everything.”]
Some people’s sorrow seems worse than others, but it has been said that if all our trials and sorrows were put in a pile we would each choose our own. Perhaps that is because the Lord tailor makes each of our situations to help us conform to the image of His Son.
These are just a sampling of the verses you will find on gratitude if you search His Word:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4
“Give thanks in everything”—1 Thessalonians 5:18
“Give thanks for everything”—Ephesians 5:20
“Pray about everything with thanksgiving”—Philippians 4:6
“Do all things without murmuring”—Philippians 2:14
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thes 5:18
I think Melody Beattie explains it beautifully in this quote:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~Melody Beattie Fullness of Life
This article is now available in Spanish!
Finding Joy in the Journey,
Phyllis
© 2015 Phyllis Sather
All rights reserved
