thankfulness – Far More Life

Far More Thanks

He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me. (Psalm 50:23, NASB)

Offering thanks to God does not sound like a sacrifice, but sometimes it is. We can be so bogged down — by a hard situation or just the daily demands of life — that we forget to be thankful. It takes effort to consciously include it in our thoughts and prayers. God knows this, so He gave us clear instructions:

Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this. (I Thessalonians 5:18, GW)

God’s will — His desire, His best plan for us — is that we thankfully remember all He has done for us and all He provides for us. We find far more life when we look beyond our circumstances and give thanks. Thankfulness is a powerful tool that helps us keep our hearts and minds in alignment with His perspective.

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2, NASB)

I confess that I spend more prayer time asking God for things than thanking Him. It is easy to focus on my request — especially when interceding for someone else — and forget to thank God. When I fail to give thanks, I can easily slip into the mindset that God should do what I want and fulfill all my wishes, desires, and requests. But that is not God’s best for me!

When we follow His instruction and maintain an attitude of thankfulness in our prayers we are more likely to walk in far more life. We become alert to thoughts and feelings that are contrary to the power of the Spirit. We more consistently experience the peace, joy, and other fruit of the Spirit rather than falling into anger, apathy, or dissatisfaction. We handle disappointment better and can more fully connect with others in their joys and struggles. We feel more satisfied and find far more life even in circumstances where it previously eluded us.

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. (Psalm 9:1, NASB)

Focusing on thankfulness helps us recognize God’s work in and around us, often in situations where we would otherwise overlook it. We are faster to give God credit and our faith is strengthened. We grow in patience, kindness, generosity, and graciousness since we see the evidence of His work. We are slower to become fearful or worried as our trust in Him increases. We are also more aware of our need for Him and our limitations, which makes us more likely to follow His instructions. Giving thanks goes beyond the words we say; it is a far more life mindset that impacts how we perceive and respond to the world around us.

There is scientific support that supports God’s instruction. A 2014 article in Forbes shared these research-backed benefits of thankfulness:

Gratitude opens the door to more relationships; people are more likely to seek out a relationship with someone who expresses thanks.
Gratitude improves physical health, including fewer aches and pains and increased likelihood of exercise and self-care.
Gratitude improves psychological health, including increased happiness and decreased depression.
Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression, leading to lower interest in retaliation or revenge.
People sleep better and longer when they write in a thankfulness journal before bed.
Gratitude improves self-esteem and reduces comparing ourselves to others.
Gratitude increases mental strength, reducing stress and increasing resilience to difficulty.

No wonder God instructed us to be thankful!

I know many people have Thanksgiving traditions to help them remember thankfulness. Consider building on that to form a new habit: daily thankfulness. The sacrifice is small compared to the far more life it reaps.

Sisters,
Does giving thanks require sacrifice? What barriers get in your way?
What helps you give thanks in difficult circumstances?
How can you incorporate more thanksgiving into your prayers?
What benefits do you notice at times you are thankful?
I hope today is the start of a year of thankfulness — and a year of far more life!
-Shari

Far More Praise

Our mindset is an important factor in whether or not we experience far more life. When our minds are filled with negative thoughts and emotions, we cannot embrace all that God has for us. In previous posts we have talked about the important of thankfulness (if you missed them, the search bar can help you find them). This post will focus on praise.

Sometimes it seems like thankfulness and praise are interchangeable, especially in regard to God. But there is an important distinction. At Dictionary.com, “thankful” is defined as “feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative” while “praise” is “to express approval or admiration of; commend; extol.” Our thankfulness is often focused on what God does that benefits us; praise also acknowledges who He is, His character.

There is so much about God that we can admire! The Bible, especially the book of Psalms, is full of instructions to praise God and examples of how to do it. God knows we are forgetful and need regular reminders of His character and involvement; praise provides that!

Praise the Eternal. I will thank Him with all my heart in the presence of the right-standing and with the assembly. The works of the Eternal are many and wondrous! They are examined by all who delight in them. His work is marked with beauty and majesty; His justice has no end. His wonders are reminders that the Eternal is gracious and compassionate to all. (Psalm 111:1-4, VOICE)

Eternal Father, You are worthy of all my praise. There is no one like You in all of creation. I thank You with all of my heart, holding nothing back. I praise you because Your works are many and wondrous! I delight in the beauty of the stars, the power of the ocean, the majesty of the mountains — and You created them all with a word! I praise Your knowledge and power, which are beyond my comprehension. I praise You for allowing all people, even those who deny Your existence, to enjoy Your works because of Your graciousness and compassion. I praise you for providing these clear testimonies of Your power and creativity.

He provides food to those who revere Him. He will always remember His covenant. He has shown the mighty strength of His works to His people by giving the land of foreign nations to them. (Psalm 111:5-6, VOICE)

I praise You for knowing my needs and willingly meeting them. I praise You for always keeping Your promises; You alone are completely honest and trustworthy. I praise Your strength. No people are too strong for You, no matter how large their population or how strong their military. I praise You for showing Your character to the whole world by caring for Your people.

All His accomplishments are truth and justice; all His instructions are certain. His precepts will continue year in and year out, performed by His people with honesty and truth. (Psalm 111:7-8, VOICE)

I praise You for your truth and justice. Unlike me, You are perfect in these because You know all and have control over all. Nothing surprises or threatens You. You make no mistakes; all you do is right and just. I praise You for giving clear instructions in your Word; You do not make me guess what is pleasing to You and what You expect of me. I praise You for being constant rather than wavering in Your opinion (like me!) and for enabling me to reflect your honesty and truth.

He has redeemed His people, guaranteeing His covenant forever. His name is holy and awe-inspiring. (Psalm 111:9, VOICE)

I praise You for buying me back from the sin that separated us. I praise You for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sin so I could become Your daughter. I praise You for promising that our relationship will continue forever and nothing can take it away. You are far more holy and awe-inspiring than my feeble mind can comprehend.

Reverence for the Eternal is the first step toward wisdom.
All those who worship Him have a good understanding.
His praise will echo through eternity! (Psalm 111:10, VOICE)

I praise You for showing me the path to Your wisdom and allowing me to walk it. I praise You for offering me far more life. I look forward to praising you for all eternity, especially when I see you face-to-face and realize how blind I have been to Your character and praiseworthiness! Until then, I praise you the best I can through Jesus’ name. Amen.

Expressing praise brings far more life because it sets our focus on our Dad. When the clouds of sin and struggle cause us to lose sight of Him, praise lets the sun shine through. Praise brings light and truth to areas of our heart and mind that were struggling in darkness, doubt, and false beliefs about God and our position before Him. Praise resets our view to an eternal perspective. It reminds us of how we have encountered God in the past and how He has promised we will encounter Him in the future. Praise keeps us connected to God, which is where we find far more life!

Sisters,
How do you see thankfulness and praise as being similar? Different?
What do you admire about God? (If you need ideas, read a few Psalms.)
How have you seen Him at work in your life?
Do you praise God daily? If not, embrace far more life by making that a habit. See how it changes your perspective to recognize and admire Him each day.
-Shari

Far More Joy and Thankfulness

This article title jumped off the page at me: “How Complaining Physically Rewires Your Brain to be Anxious and Depressed”. Immediately this Bible verse came to mind:

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. (Philippians 2:14-16a, NIV)

I had always thought this verse said when my mouth does not complain, others see God shining out of me. But God wants to change more than my speech:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV)

Joyfulness, prayer, and thankfulness involve our hearts, not just our actions. And notice God wants them to be constant. Why is this His will for us? Hearts that are joyful, thankful, and connected to God are living far more life. They are transformed by the Holy Spirit and change our thoughts and actions. Not only does that allow us to be a better image of Christ to those around us, it also — according to the premise of that article — protects our brain wiring from serious consequences.

Why do we complain instead of being joyful and thankful? If I am honest, I want to be in control. I want smooth sailing — as I define smooth. When that doesn’t happen, I view the situation as troubling and am tempted to complain. But smooth sailing is an unreasonable expectation. Jesus clearly stated:

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33b, NIV)

As long as we walk this earth we should expect trouble, not be surprised by it! Far more life trusts God’s ultimate control and follows Him through the troubles and good circumstances. The Bible makes it clear God has a bigger plan for us and challenges us to have this perspective:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. (James 1:2, NIV)

The verses that follow tell how trials mature our character until we “lack nothing”. Far more life understands trouble is a God-approved spiritual growth plan. My pastor says, “I love trials!” because he understands their purpose. We, too, can walk through troubles with joy when we believe God has a purpose for them.

Jesus faced a more difficult trial than we will ever encounter: the cross. How did He overcome temptation to resist God’s plan?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…who for the joy set before him endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:2, NIV)

Jesus remembered the purpose for His suffering. He looked to the future rather than His current circumstances. And He did it with a focus on joy. The Bible does not record this, but I think Jesus was grateful for the opportunity to reconcile us to God. And that perspective allowed him to do the hardest thing ever without complaints even entering His mind. We, too, can do hard things without complaining when we remember that God is using them to mature us so we lack nothing.

God never commands us to be thankful FOR everything, simply to be thankful IN everything. He doesn’t expect us to be thankful for divorce or cancer, for example. But He does want us to remain thankful as we navigate those challenges, whether we are thankful for support from others, hope for a better future, lessons we learn along the way, or anything good we know about Him or receive from Him. We also know that our character and understanding of God can grow most during our most difficult experiences; we choose whether to grow better or bitter through our troubles. Like me, you may have life experiences that you wouldn’t want to repeat but are thankful for the closeness to God that developed through them.

I was recently challenged to not complain for 3 days. And to go beyond swallowing my complaints to replacing those thoughts with gratitude. I gave my family permission to lovingly point out my complaining, which one of my teens eagerly embraced. I was surprised by the lightness in my heart as I chose to embrace a new perspective. “I am so tired,” led to thankfulness for a comfortable bed and hope for better sleep that night. “There are so many dirty dishes,” was replaced with thankfulness for my family and ample food. When chronic pain flared I was able to be thankful for the things I could do — even if I had to move slowly and carefully. During those 3 days I realized complaining makes my mind feel gray and overcast but gratefulness makes it sunny and bright. I have committed to choosing gratitude so I can continue to enjoy far more life. (And my family continues to point out my complaints!)

Will you take that 3-day challenge grow in far more life? It will be a battle! You will need to examine your thoughts and determine whether they come from a grateful or complaining heart. When you aren’t sure, ask if they fit this criteria:

“…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8, NIV)

These are the thoughts that help us constantly be joyful, thankful, and prayerful. They remind us that troubles lead to growth. They protect us from spiritual anxiety and spiritual depression. They are the far more life we crave.

Sisters,
Are you more likely to argue and complain or be joyful and thankful?
How do you respond to trouble and not getting what you want? What helps you respond with joy?
What promise can you look forward to that brings you hope and joy?
Will you take the 3-day challenge to practice thankfulness rather than complaining?
Enjoy far more joyful and thankful life this week!
-Shari