Consider Him and Be Thankful

When it comes to gratitude, God must be our aim. We must do more than simply bite our tongues from bad-mouthing our circumstances. Our battle involves more than saying “no” to bitterness or resignation; it means saying “yes” to pursuing God. Hebrews 11:25–26 says, “It was by faith that Moses... chose to share ill-treatment with God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought that it was better to suffer for the promised Christ than to own all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking forward to the great reward that God would give him” (The Living Bible).

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In order to foster true gratitude in our hearts, we must fight to stay satisfied with God. We must spend more hours studying him, and fewer hours researching our diseases and disabilities on the Internet. We must glut ourselves on the promises of Christ. Dr. John Piper has written superbly on this subject in The Pleasures of God. “We must swallow up the little flicker of [earthly] pleasure in the conflagration of holy satisfaction. When we make a covenant with our eyes, as Job did, our aim is not merely to avoid something erotic, but to gain something excellent...We do not yield to the offer of sandwich meat when we can smell the steak sizzling on the grill.”

In the quest to be grateful, we should not get detoured by earthly pleasures when there is the promise of maximum, full-force joy in the Lord. After all,

“In [God’s] presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11, KJV)

Thanksgiving has the upper hand in your heart when you are satiated in Christ. When, with Paul, you see him as sufficient—as enough.

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” (Psalm 73:25)

When you are suffering affliction, how much time do you spend thinking of God?

In what ways can you model Christ in his suffering?

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