Statistics on gratitude say those who are grateful live longer, healthier lives. Studies say people who live with a thankful mindset are also more compassionate, forgiving, and feel less lonely. But living a life of gratitude is easier said than done when life isn’t going our way.
How can we be grateful when our spirit is broken and the weight of our situation crushes the life out of our praise?
When life circumstances feel unfair, unjust, and simply uncalled for, we can quickly stop trusting God and try to take control of the situation. Especially when the tears won’t stop and our situation feels like it’s getting worse.
God doesn’t want us to hold back the pain or cover it up with cliches. In those moments of despair, our loving Father wants to hear from an honest heart. Our Healer wants to handle the heartbreak.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 NIV
God is making all things new. While the pain is real, He wants us to fix our eyes on His greater plan and promises. As we wait on God’s ways and His timing, refocusing our earthly hurts onto the heavenly hope of Jesus is for our own good.
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 NIV
When our weary hearts anchor hope in the Word of God and believe He is always faithful, those worn out, wrecked thoughts transform into expectant, grateful hearts.
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT
Practicing gratitude takes conscious effort. It’s easy to lapse into a negative mindset when life turns upside down. One easy way to help you see beyond your situation and reflect, recharge, and refocus on God’s Word is with one of our Bible plans focused on gratitude.
To create small reminders of God’s goodness during your day, use the YouVersion Bible Lens App to capture faces, places, and moments you’re grateful for. When you upload your photos in the app, Bible Lens will pair your picture with the perfect Bible verse. This can help transform your thoughts about the day. You can also try writing down one thing you’re grateful for either at the beginning or end of each day.
God does not push us away when we bring Him our pain. He brings us in even closer. When we refocus a burdened spirit on God’s unfailing love, we find hope that things will not remain the same. He is making all things new.
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
In our struggles, we can be grateful that God hasn’t left us to fight these insurmountable battles alone. Our Great Defender has defeated the valleys of life and the grave of death to give us a new life, a new spirit, and a new heart in Him!
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