Expressing gratitude in the midst of chaos requires intention and reflection. At the root of all the things that are truly important in this life, we see it all stems from what God has already done, who He is, and how he continually provides for us. I want to equip you with simple ways to be intentional about expressing gratitude to God for these things especially when life is difficult and chaotic. We can choose to take the time to be grateful and express it. Being intentional about showing gratitude is difficult especially when life gets crazy.
For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special? What do you have that you did not receive [from another]? And if in fact you received it [from God or someone else], why do you boast as if you had not received it [but had gained it by yourself]? 1 Corinthians 4:7 AMP
It’s an interesting question that Paul poses, “What do you have that you did not receive?” It’s rather deep to contemplate because the entirety of our lives hinge on what God does actively in the present and on what He has already accomplished (especially at the cross, full payment for our sin). God establishes everything (Daniel 2:21, Job 12:23). We can even be grateful for what God says he will do in the future (Revelation 21). God also works through people (and his creation) around us, believers and non-believers alike, which is an amazing thing. Who can comprehend it?
So in the midst of chaos it’s possible to stop and ask this question from Paul and to apply it to our lives. Who gave you the car which is now totaled? Who gave you the family and friends you have lost? If you are grieving, what is the alternative? To never have had what you did before it was lost to you? For everything of this world is perishing. These bodies and all these materials. Even in the midst of loss we can be grateful to even know such a grief as this! It’s hard and does not mean we should not grieve (please grieve with your whole heart), but gratitude in the midst of grief is possible by reflecting and thinking of Paul’s question.
After a crazy and stressful day of traveling I had to realize that I had so much to be thankful for. My flight got delayed by 2 hours and I had to catch a new connecting flight. I almost had to fly out of a completely different airport. I didn’t know if I could even get home that same day. I almost missed work and still barely made it on time. I freaked out about my luggage getting lost because it was on the plane that now was unable to leave the airport. However, it was amazing that I had such a beautiful reason to be traveling. I met wonderful new people in my life and spent time with my best friend. I actually had a great well paying job that I had to be at and was blessed enough to get a raise this year. I even had my best friend waiting outside the airport I was stuck at ready to drive me to a different airport. I had people who God placed in my life who care for me and love me. Despite the chaos and the stress I had so many things to be grateful for. All I had to do was stop and look around.
And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT
Gratitude can be expressed through giving. We can give our time with volunteer work. We can give our processions away to someone in need. We can give our money away to churches and charitable organizations. Giving is like saying, “I know God provides for me so I am free and able to give to someone else.” God looks out for us and gives us what we need and even considers our wants! How amazing is that? God’s grace equips us to give. Gratitude breeds generosity.
Another key way I express gratitude during my day is through prayer. Even if it’s just a quick prayer, I will just pause and tell God “thank you” and share that moment with him. He sees my life unfolding as my witness and as my Father watching over me as his kid. There’s really no elaborate 15 minute prayer required. A simple heart-felt thank you in prayer is meaningful. Pausing during your day can be possible even if it’s so crazy and hectic. It can be as simple as turning the music off while you drive, or going to the restroom simply just to pray. Even if you can’t stop what you are doing, working in silence can help. Silence is very underrated and difficult to find in today’s culture, but not impossible.
Boasting about God to others is a great way to express gratitude. Giving God the credit is important. Answered prayer is so easily missed and forgotten. It’s so easy to leave God out of our stories if we don’t pay attention. How many things do you have in your life now that you used to pray for in the past? Spend some time on that question and it might surprise you how many things you can list.
Meditating on answered prayers is important. We have to try not to miss them or forget them because it builds our faith and fuels our trust in God for our future. We must be reminded of what God has done and that’s a key reason why God provides us with His word. We all have a Hagar story where we sat down and said, “this is it.” We all have a Hannah story where we were utterly heartbroken and begged God for help. We all have a Jonah story where we ran away from God and his will for us. God is the same and he shows up. He showed up for so many people and he still does. The Bible boasts about our God and so should we.
When I stop and reflect on my life, I can easily say, “yep, God did that…. He gave me this…He showed up there…He protected me from that…” God is continuously working and there is so much he does that we can’t see. What we do see is only the tip of a great iceberg. I like to say, “when you see God doing one thing, he is also doing a 1,000 other things.” We can even express gratitude for the things we don’t yet understand. God is good in all His ways and we can trust in his goodness despite our circumstances.
Pausing in our day is possible and saying thank you to God matters. Expressing gratitude leads to growth in our relationship with Him. We just have to remind ourselves to think of Him and say thanks. At the root of all that God does for us is who God is. He cares for us out of His deep love for us. He is amazing and worthy of praise and thanksgiving. We can thank God for being the one true and holy God that He is and that He gave His Son for us.
