October 1st: Gratitude
GRATITUDE By Jon Soden
Title: Gratitude that Witnesses
Think back to a week where everything seemed to go wrong—maybe it was health issues, family tension, or another sleepless stretch at work. How did you respond emotionally? Was it all frustration, exhaustion, and discouragement? Or did you find even a small way to thank the Lord in the middle of it?
Life tends to move in patterns—ups and downs in our health, our work, our finances, our relationships, and even our faith. The highs can feel like blessings, and the lows can feel like burdens. But both seasons come with their own spiritual challenges. In the good times, it’s easy to set God aside. We stop praying with urgency, stop seeking Him with dependence, and start thinking we’ve got things handled. Comfort can quietly convince us that we don’t need Him. In the hard times, we can swing the other way—turning away from God in frustration, questioning His goodness, or feeling too ashamed to approach Him. We wrestle with silence, with unanswered prayers, and with the weight of emotions we don’t always know how to name.
In the Book of Job, Job definitely experiences some of the extremes of both ends. Before tragedy strikes, Job is introduced as a man of exceptional character, wealth, and spiritual integrity. The opening verses of the book paint a portrait of someone who is not only materially blessed but deeply respected and spiritually grounded:
“In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.”
Job 1:1-3
Satan argues with God that Job’s faith is transactional—he’s only righteous because life is good. So God allows Satan to test Job, taking away nearly everything that defined his earthly life—his wealth, his children, his health, and his social standing.
Job immediately displays a posture of submission and worship to the Lord:
“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”
Job 1:20-22
Soon, Satan attacks Job once again, this time with sickness and bodily sores. Job once again continues to praise God when his wife tells him to curse God for this:
“He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”
Job 2:10
In the midst of hardship, Job displays an inspiring feat of courage by being grateful to the Lord, understanding his power, sovereignty, and praising Him. Job understands that not all times will be good, and that not all times will be hard. God allows Job to be tested because of his faith and obedience to the Lord. And, in the end, He blesses Job tenfold and returns health, wealth, and family.
I wish I could say that I always have the heart posture that Job did when it comes to gratitude. Oftentimes, I can become victim to my emotions and let it affect my relationship with God. If I try to put myself in the shoes of Job, even though he respected the sovereignty of the Lord to take what he had been given to him, I don't think that means Job was happy about it; I think that he was probably upset, hurt, and mourning.
Sometimes, gratitude can be more about choosing to thank the Lord, even when things are not going as we would like. Thanking God during the hard times and well as the good will bring us a gratitude that is not based off the circumstances we face. Similar to Job, this doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't feel any negative emotions when we go through a hard time. But by choosing gratitude, we can give these issues to the Lord and live with a peace we would not otherwise have.
Jesus tells us:
““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””
John 16:33
This can give us the confidence we need to have that ultimate gratitude through Jesus--we know we will have those ups and downs, but Jesus has overcome it. When we feel like life isn't fair or things aren't going our way, we can also know that it was not fair for Jesus to go to the cross for us.
In a more everyday approach, gratitude is essential to live a Christ-like life. We are called to be "set apart", and displaying courage and gratitude in the midst of hardship is a great way to do that. I personally have never been one to "throw Jesus" at a non-believer (not to say that that is always wrong or not essential in certain circumstances). Instead, I think it's important to live like Jesus to build a level of credibility when a conversation of faith comes up. If we are always complaining and looking at life glass half-empty, why would someone want to follow Jesus if they think that is what they have to look forward too? We have all worked with a crew that is complaining about everything under the sun--be above that and remember who you are choosing to represent.
As Jesus puts it:
““You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16
Remember, whether on or off duty, we are the light of the world--choose to be grateful in the every day, in the good, and learn to be grateful in the bad.
Discussion Questions:
1. Think back to the last time you faced difficult circumstances--how did you respond emotionally?
2. How does comfort lead to spiritual complacency? What are practical ways to stay spiritually grounded?
3. What does it mean to be the "salt" and "light" in our current lives at home and at work? How can gratitude serve as a witness to others?
4. How can you balance real emotions you feel during difficult times while also choosing a posture of gratitude?
5. What's one way you can practice gratitude this week?