The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (9 page)

You and I have many opportunities to complain on a regular basis. But complaining doesn’t do any good; all complaining does is open the door for the enemy. It doesn’t solve problems; it just creates a breeding ground for greater problems.

Instead of complaining, let’s choose to respond to the Lord each day by developing an attitude of gratitude. This is not just an occasional expression of thanks, but a continual lifestyle of thanksgiving. The person who has developed an “attitude of gratitude” is one who is thankful and grateful for every single thing that God is doing in his or her life day by day.

Father, thank You for the way You provide for every area of my life. Instead of complaining about what I want or about what I don’t have, I choose to be grateful for everything I
do
have. You have been good to me—thank You for Your goodness.

God wants to take us to a new level of commitment. This is something to be excited about and grateful for because with commitment comes blessing. It’s not always easy, but it is worth all it requires. We all fight battles and face the temptation to stop fighting and just give up, but commitment is the thing that enables us to resist that temptation.

When you are fiercely committed to God’s purpose for your life, you will begin to experience all that He has for you. God loves you and He wants you to be in a committed relationship with Him—for life. I can’t imagine anything more satisfying, more rewarding, or more adventurous. He has more in store for you than you have ever asked or imagined, but in order to see His plans become a reality in your life you will need to be 100 percent committed to Him and His will.

Father, I choose to commit my life fully to You. I thank You that You are leading me into the destiny You have for me. With Your help, I will focus on You and commit every part of my life to Your plan and purpose for me.

We are not built for guilt. God never intended His children to be loaded down with guilt, so our systems don’t handle it well at all. Had God wanted us to feel guilty, He would not have sent Jesus to redeem us from guilt. He bore, or paid for, our iniquities and the guilt they cause (see Isaiah 53:6 and 1 Peter 2:24–25).

As believers in Jesus Christ and as sons and daughters of God, we can be thankful that we have been set free from the power of sin (see Romans 6:6–10). That doesn’t mean that we’ll never sin, but it does mean that when we do, we can admit it, receive forgiveness, and be free from guilt. Our journey with God toward right behavior and holiness is progressive, and only when we stop dragging the guilt from past mistakes along with us will we really make progress toward true freedom and joy.

Father, I thank You that I don’t have to carry guilt and shame around with me as I go through my life. Help me to let go of my past mistakes and walk in the freedom of Your grace and forgiveness.

One meaning of the word
fear
is “to take flight,” so when we use the phrase “fear not,” in a very real sense we are saying, “Don’t run away from what frightens you.” Remember, you don’t have to do it in your own strength—God is with you. You can move forward with a grateful assurance in Him.

Whatever the situation is, face it; don’t run from it. Don’t try to hide from it; just meet it head-on, even when you feel like you’d rather not. Every man or woman who has ever been given the opportunity to do something great has had to face fear. What will you do when you are tempted to be afraid? Will you run, or will you stand firm, thankful God is with you?

When I am in a situation where I begin to feel fear, help me, Father, to stand firm in Your strength. I am thankful that I do not have to flee. I can stand strong knowing that fear has no control over my life.

No day will seem ordinary if we are thankful for the gift God is giving us at the start of each day. An extraordinary attitude can quickly turn an ordinary day into an amazing adventure. Jesus said He came so that we might have and enjoy life (see John 10:10). If we refuse to enjoy it, then it’s no one’s fault but our own.

I would like to suggest that you take responsibility for your joy and never again give anyone else the job of keeping you happy. You can control what you do, but you cannot control what other people do. So you may be unhappy a lot of the time if you depend on them as your source of joy. The psalmist David said that he encouraged himself in the Lord, and if he can do it, then we can do it too.

Father, I am grateful for this new day that You have given me. Regardless of the actions or attitudes of others, I am going to enjoy this day because You are the source of my joy.