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CONSTANT GRATITUDE

By Sarah Mariano Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Lou Murrey @ Flickr (CC)

Lorrie Noel found out she had a brain tumor in August 2011. After more testing, she learned it was cancerous. Though the cancer had nestled into an inoperable place in her brain, stretching its deadly tendrils from this safe haven, Lorrie had inexplicable joy. Seasoned doctors wondered at her undaunted smiles, and nurses, hardened by daily encounters with suffering, laughed at her cheerful humor. Most notably, Lorrie insisted on meeting and praying with fellow patients in worse conditions than her own, telling them of her hope, praying for them, and writing their names and prayer requests in her journal so she could continue to pray for them when her first round of treatments ended.

Lorrie gleefully told me after her time in the hospital: “Sarah, God is doing some amazing things over there. I know it’s hard, but if he wants to use this sickness to share the love of Jesus with the nurses and doctors and patients over there, then I’m just thankful to be a part of it.”

I thought back to my time in a hospital room at the tender age of seven, watching my father struggle through his last breaths as the same disease that terrorized Lorrie’s brain stole him from my life. I did not remember thankfulness; I remembered fear. I remembered sorrow deeper than I could possibly understand at so young an age. I remembered disbelief, confusion, but never joy. What role did gratitude have in a deathbed scene? What place did thankfulness have in life-threatening illness?

Lorrie was grateful to God even though she had no idea whether she would survive this illness or not. She was thankful to be a part of God’s story in any capacity—in sickness or health. I wondered at my own ungratefulness. I was heading to college in a few weeks, and I found my heart more full of dread and selfishness at the uncertainty of my future than of thankfulness. I was slave to the expectations I had set for myself rather than free in the promises God made for me in his word. I began to realize that at the root of my ungratefulness lay a lack of confidence—a necessary ingredient to begin a life of gratefulness. Confidence in God produces faith, which in turn leads us to thankfulness. Without these elements, our lives will not reflect the joy of having Jesus as our Savior, but learning to incorporate them is a daunting task.

We are told continually in scripture that God provides our strength, that our weakness will not overcome us, that in troubles God will uphold us. Yet we live with doubt and fear instead of courage and confidence. Psalm 46:1-2 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea” (ESV). Further, John 16:33 tells us that though we will have troubles, Christ has overcome the world. With this kind of assurance, we can thank God in the midst of troubles, knowing that he will be faithful to protect us. When we thank God even before knowing the outcome of a situation, we acknowledge that his promises are true.

“Once we realize our own unworthiness, we can more accurately give thanks to God for his abounding mercy.”

Our thankfulness in difficult times boils down to confidence. The Bible has promised that God will be glorified. And it also promises that God upholds the weak and defends those he loves. Thankfulness is a matter of accepting those promises and living by them. It is an outpour of our confidence in the word and strength of our God. Without this confidence, we would have no reason to rejoice in trials, but the Bible repeatedly assures us that our confidence is real and justified in Christ. Thankfulness comes from our assurance in God. Building confidence starts with reminding ourselves of God’s promises for the future, his faithfulness to us in the past, and his presence with us in the present. This could mean beginning a practice of writing a list of things God has done, will do, and is doing. Or perhaps it means praying each day to become more aware of the Spirit working in our lives, even in the small things. Even keeping a journal of daily events can reveal the active role God plays in our lives, and reading through the journal periodically can remind us of the power and sovereignty of God. All these things build our confidence in the power and presence of God with us.

Our confidence in the power and faithfulness of God naturally produces gratitude. Though we do not deserve even the air that we breathe, God gives it to us out of his great love for us (Eph. 2:4). He gives us life and a purpose though we deserve death and destruction. Once we realize our own unworthiness, we can more accurately give thanks to God for his abounding mercy.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul tells the church in Thessalonica to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. Our culture cannot comprehend such a mentality of perpetual gratitude. Rather than rejoice, we grumble; rather than pray, we sulk; rather than give thanks, we complain until we cannot see anyone or anything but ourselves. Selfishness and thankfulness stand in opposition. Thankfulness requires us to look outward for a moment, to acknowledge that perhaps our perceptions are not quite so wise and omniscient as we are in the habit of thinking.

However, once we begin a life of thankfulness, we can have peace in even the most uncertain circumstances. Thankfulness focuses our minds and hearts on the promises God has made to us, and in this way, we submit to his power in every situation. God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us in Joshua 1:5, to uphold us with his mighty hand in Isaiah 41:10, to work all things for good for those who love him in Romans 8:28. He has promised grace to those who believe in Christ— that he died on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins, to bring glory to the Father. All of these promises are fulfilled in the Bible countless times. When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, God never left them. He made them a mighty nation through David when the Philistines threatened to overtake them. When the Israelites turned to idols, in complete disobedience of God’s commands, God forgave them and loved them still. And in the New Testament, Jesus establishes that anyone who believes in him is adopted as a child of God and receives all of those promises alongside the Israelites. With such complete assurance, thankfulness is clearly warranted. Further, as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, when we give thanks to God, we fulfill God’s will for us. God wants us to surrender our hopes and fears to him because he is sufficient for us. With thankful hearts, we become aware of God’s strength and become satisfied in him.

Confidence in God produces faith, which in turn leads us to thankfulness. Without these elements, our lives will not reflect the joy of having Jesus as our Savior, but learning to incorporate them is a daunting task.

The fulfillment of God’s promises reminds us that we serve a perfect, loving, just, and mighty God who has chosen us—imperfect and often ungrateful people—to display his glory in creation. We can depend on the promises made to us for the future because he has been faithful in the past and his character never changes. This unmerited favor should lead to joy and thankfulness. Though we do not earn God’s favor or attention, he displays his love to us in promises and in his continuing presence with us.

Lorrie’s confidence allowed her to face cancer with joy and selflessness. No matter what our circumstances are, whether small or life-threatening, we can thank God in advance because he is with us always, to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). We can learn to trust God by remembering his promises, by remembering his faithfulness to us in the past, and by remembering his power.

CONSTANT GRATITUDE - New Identity Magazine

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Filed Under: Featured, Grow, Practical Application Tagged With: Issue 21

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Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio
Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on ou Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on our own is in vain. We can never hope to achieve the same level that Jesus was on while we are still here on Earth. We’re like little kids, struggling just to walk. But that’s why Jesus gave us an example of redeemed followers in the form of the Apostles, who were his close group of students here on Earth. He chose a group of broken, sinful men, and ultimately shaped them into the group responsible for continuing his ministry here on Earth. ⁠
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✍🏽: Tim VanDeWalker in "Running By Example" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's th "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." –Desmond Tutu
The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not t The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not to become like it. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Rom. 12:2a). Some have interpreted this as an instruction to reject anything that isn’t explicitly Christian. But I don’t think that’s what this verse is getting at. I think it means much more.⁠
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✍🏽: Lindsey Beharry in "Choosing Wisely" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
If you desire to serve, seek to form groups withou If you desire to serve, seek to form groups without age distinction. Maybe you want to form a group in your church. Avoid just inviting members from your age group. Seek out people older and younger than you to invite to meet together. Find that person who sits alone and talk to her or him. Instead of a focus on building groups that have the same characteristics to “relate” with one another, you center your discussion in the work of Christ. He will bring the group together. ⁠
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✍🏽: Russell Almand in "Community and Age Diversity" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"If we put our faith in temporal things, they will "If we put our faith in temporal things, they will inevitably let us down. They were never meant to be enough for us. Not alone. When Barnum finally does hit bottom, he recognizes that his heart has been led astray, fooled into thinking that fame or fortune could satisfy him."⁠
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✍🏽: @slimkeman in "The Greatest Showman" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the ex "Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the extent of its effects on the brain, relationships, and society at a time when sexually explicit content is just a click away. Christians have recognized pornography’s negative impact for decades, yet it is still often considered a “male” problem within the Church. This can leave women who struggle with porn addiction feeling isolated and alone. The organization SheRecovery (formerly Dirty Girls Ministries) aims to change that and has become a resource for women with porn addiction. You can read more about their ministry at the link in our bio. ⁠
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✍🏽: Lisa Gagnon in "Dirty Girls Ministries" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The presence of my sin reminds me of my great nee "The presence of my sin reminds me of my great need for grace, and good works are the outpouring of a grateful heart; being a good child is not a means of earning the favor of God."⁠
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✍🏽: Sally Blotzer in "Forgiving Failure" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by "As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by how we handle our daily lives, much like those around us, but also by an added component: our faith. How we pray and worship and spend time with our fellow followers provides additional meaning to our lives."⁠
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✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Does Your Form Determine Your Function?" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others an Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others and not to judge. I forget that when he said, “Come follow me,” he wasn’t just inviting us to a strict set of rules but to a real and exciting life whether you turn out to be a pastor, a doctor, designer or simply “Dad.” Sometimes I forget one of his main messages was that he came to give us a better life than we could ever dream of—life to the fullest. Jesus wasn’t locking us down to a vocation or job title. It’s as if he was saying, “Real, vibrant life is available to you now. Following me, loving me and living like me is your real calling…the rest is just there to aid you in following, loving and living.”⁠
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✍🏽: Wendy Van Eyck in "Living For A Purpose" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” There is yet another parallel between the Christian story and The Matrix, simultaneously the most foundational and the most captivating. It’s that something which is missing, something which is not quite right with the world. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know that it’s there. At the outset of the first film, Neo is searching for it. Trinity asserts that “it’s the question that drives us.” Morpheus claims that “you can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes.” The question is: What if I’ve only ever scratched the surface of all that life has to offer? What if there is a deeper, truer current of reality, ever-present behind all of my life’s experiences, to which I might awaken at any moment?⁠
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✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Tumbling Down The Rabbit Hole" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because "I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because we all struggle with temptations to sin. And we all struggle to live in a way that honors God. Like Augustine we all feel the tug of our past sins that say, 'Don’t you want to enjoy us?' And Augustine’s story relates to Galatians 5:16-26 where Paul tells us about how the Christian life is like a walk. In a way, walking is a metaphor for the Christian life." ⁠
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✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like livin "The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like living, and for serving others." Where in your life or in what ways has the Spirit enabled you this week? We'd love to hear, tell us in the comments below!⁠
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✍🏽: @the_christopherscott  in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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