Sometimes, we need others’ perspectives to see our situations in a different light. Get in a small group within your local church body.
When times are tough, it is difficult to see the good in things. It is easier to focus on what we don't have rather than what we do have. Yet, Jesus went every day being grateful for the ministry God had given him on earth. When his death was eminent, he spent his last moments before being arrested breaking bread with the apostles and giving thanks to God. This is the best example of how to handle tough seasons in our lives.
There’s Always Hope
But it's easier said than done. Sometimes life throws us many curveballs, which can leave us feeling overwhelmed and hopeless with nowhere to turn. For Christians, however, there is always hope. By adjusting our attitudes to be grateful for the many blessings God has given us, and giving our requests to him, trusting that he will handle everything in his time, we can live life in thankfulness, even in the most difficult circumstances. Here are six ways to practice gratitude in hard seasons:
1. Pray and Thank God
In your daily quiet time, use the ACTS method of prayer: Adoration- praise God simply for who he is. Contrition- confess your sins before him, making sure nothing is hindering God from hearing your prayers. Thankfulness- be grateful for everything God has given you. Supplication- then ask for your requests. Even in despair, there's always something to be thankful for. Take a moment and observe where you are praying. What is around you? What are you wearing? Where are you sitting? Those are all things we can be grateful for, as many people do not have these things. Even if it's the socks on your feet or being able to get out of bed, shift your perspective to one of thankfulness for even the smallest blessing. If you do this regularly and begin your day this way, you will find the joy promised to us in Scripture.
2. Count Your Blessings
Take a step further in your prayer time by buying a blank journal and spending some of your quiet time listing all the ways you have been blessed. A bulleted list will do just fine, although you can certainly journal in complete sentences if you wish. Make a goal to list ten to twenty new blessings each day. It's OK if you can't think of all those blessings in that one chunk of time. Change your thinking to dwell on that throughout the day. Ask God to make you more aware of your surroundings. By doing so, you'll not only change your thinking to one of complaint but one of gratitude, but you'll also find you're more blessed than you realize.
3. Watch the News
Although the news is not a good goal and only shows us how hard the world is right now, it's a good lesson to know there's always someone who has it worse than you. Watch the evening news for one week. Write down all the news stories you see. What tragic event does the news highlight? Put yourself in the place of the victims. What might they be feeling and thinking during this time?
Imagine if you were the subject of that news story. What might you be thinking and feeling? Take a moment and thank God that that tragedy has not happened to you. Furthermore, think of ways you might be able to be of help. In what ways might God be calling you to help in your community or your neighbors'?
4. Serve the Community
There is no better way to practice gratitude than by serving within your local community. Isaiah 58:6-4 says, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loosen the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear. Then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Not only does service fulfill Isaiah’s command, but it also gives your life meaning and purpose. Service also improves your self-esteem and allows you to make a difference in the world. Stack shelves at your local food pantry. Donate clothes to the local clothes closets. Serve on a team in your church. Donate funds to charitable organizations that may need a boost of income to accomplish their purposes. Even the smallest act will be a big act in God's eyes. This helps take the focus off yourself in on to those in need that may live right around the corner from you.
5. Get in a Small Group
Sometimes, we need others’ perspectives to see our situations in a different light. Get in a small group within your local church body. Boldly share your prayer requests and be vulnerable with the people in the group. Within that private setting, you can receive encouragement, wisdom, and prayer. The camaraderie you will feel with others who worship with you will be crucial to your mental health. You can, in turn, help them by praying for them and offering the same encouragement and advice. Check-in with them throughout the week to ensure your group members are doing OK. This will help them feel loved and appreciated, and in turn, you will be demonstrating gratitude for their impact on your life.
6. Focus on the Less Fortunate
Broaden your charitable giving from those in your community to those in 3rd world countries. Nothing changes a perspective like seeing impoverished children and enslaved women living in unbearable conditions. Sponsor a child from World Vision or Compassion and write them letters to share the love of Jesus. These organizations strive to spread the gospel message while meeting the physical, emotional, and mental needs of these people. Add your sponsor child’s name to your prayer list and pray for them regularly. Incorporate Scripture into your monthly letters to them and let them know you love them, and Jesus does too.
James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
It is difficult to keep an attitude of gratitude during tough situations. But Jesus wants us to lean on him and not on our own understanding to get through them. When we focus on others instead of ourselves, we can attain a joy the world does not understand and a peace that surpasses all understanding.
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