Cultivating a Heart of Worship
Those of you who know me well know that I am not a grateful person by nature. If I am being completely honest, I have a natural bend toward doubt, negativity, discouragement, and anxiety. It has taken years (and lots of practice and a little help from my counselor—thank you, Dr. Birkeland) to learn how to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). While I am not perfect in this, I strive to practice this habit daily. Why? Because choosing gratitude means choosing joy.
Vigilance is necessary if you and I want to live a life that is filled with joy. I have seen firsthand how a lack of gratitude manifests itself in complaining and can lead to resentment—whether within the confines of my own thoughts or worse yet, through venting those thoughts to others. I have learned that the only way to remove the weeds of ingratitude that have taken root in my heart is to intentionally cultivate a grateful heart.
If you find discouragement, depression, fear, or anxiety among your frequent companions, you may be tempted to attribute them to your difficult or challenging circumstances (I know I am often guilty of this). Learning to care for Mitch as a COVID long-hauler and picking up the extra responsibilities that he is no longer able to complete often leaves me feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and depleted. In these overwhelming moments, I am tempted to whine, but God has been patient with me and has been teaching me that in every circumstance that comes my way, I can choose to respond in one of two ways:
I can choose to whine or I can choose to worship.
Christ-centered, grace-motivated gratitude fits everywhere, even in life’s most desperate moments and difficult situations. Even when it seems there are no answers, gratitude gives us hope. This sort of gratitude transforms overwhelmed strugglers into triumphant conquerors. I want to be a triumphant conqueror for Christ--how about you?
If you are struggling to cultivate a heart of gratitude, here are some things to consider:
What blessings have you received from God (including those that may have been disguised as problems or difficulties)?
What was your response to those blessings—did you choose to whine or worship?
May I be so bold as to challenge you to take some time today to acknowledge God as the giver of every good gift by expressing your gratitude to Him?
Gratitude is a lifestyle. One that is hard fought, grace infused, and requires humility---and is worth every effort.
What is one small step that you could take over the next two weeks to be intentional in choosing to worship in the moments when you are tempted to whine?
Joyfully and expectantly,
Heather