A Grateful Heart

A new year means new challenges. However, it also means new blessings. Over the past year, I have been steeped in struggle and strife. It seemed that everything that could go “wrong” did. Let me clarify, I use quotation marks because these instances seemed wrong in my eyes, not at all what I had planned or expected.

When things go continually wrong according to OUR plan, it hurts. Simply, it feels like defeat. With circumstance after circumstance seemingly going “wrong”, I developed a “Why me?” attitude, or even better, “Of course this happens to ME”. This is a dangerous pit and slippery slope.

People would remind me that Jesus suffered. He was rejected, betrayed, hurt, and mocked, and yet, all I could think was, “So why does He want me to feel this way?” It wasn’t until someone reminded me of a simple truth, that I could start to see the light out of this dark pit.

We choose in our own free will to be followers of Jesus. As followers of Christ, what is our main goal?

To convert more people to the church? To obey rules and regulations in the hopes of making it to heaven? To follow the traditions of our parents? To keep up an outward appearance?

The real truth in our decision to follow Christ is so that He can transform us into His Image.

That Image does not come easily. Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, betrayed, denied, and was nailed on a cross, and yet, I want to see my hardships as unjust. If we are pursuing a relationship with the Lord, our ultimate goal is to be made in His Image. His characteristics of love, kindness, humility, grace, forgiveness, and so many more do not come from our most perfect days. These are built in testing and pressing us to build character and in our daily decision to walk as He walks.

That is not to say that those times are not hard. They are excruciating, and many times I have been to a point of utter weariness that I could not see a way out. However, these hardships are not in vain. The best way to keep perspective on our purpose in life is to act with a grateful heart and know that He orchestrates all things for our good.

I was guilty of an ungrateful heart, so this New Year, I am trying a new discipline to bring me to a place of thanksgiving. Each day, I write down one thing I am blessed by. This could be as simple as, “I enjoyed the time I spent with my family over dinner” or as awe-inspiring as the Lord placing a new Truth in your heart. The key is to discipline myself to look for the blessings in each day, with the hope that my heart softens instead of hardening with bitterness and self-pity.

I am already so inspired by the way this little game has transformed my attitude, and I cannot wait to look back on each note I wrote at the beginning of 2017.