How to Go Beyond Giving Thanks for Little Things
I find it easy to give thanks in the little things. I praise God’s glory in the warm sunshine, the bold colors in the sky, the soft grass, the gentle snow. I even see God in other people—thanking God for the friend that sends a card in the mail, the stranger who lets me go first in line, and the child who gives grace in the form of hugs even when I haven’t been so kind. I capture all of these moments with my mind, and sometimes my camera, as an act of gratitude.
Gratitude is about more than the little things
But it wasn’t until I started spending time each day in God’s Word that I began to give thanks for bigger themes in my life. Faced with my own shortcomings, and God’s righteousness, I finally began to grasp what it meant to be justified, reconciled, redeemed, rescued—for myself and for those around me.
The problem with these “big” words is that we hear them over and over possibly without understanding the meaning. But when we read Scripture on our own, without reading plans, at whatever pace works for our days, we have time to pause on these words.
From little things to bigger things
Thankful to be Justified
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Romans 5:1
I’ve been insecure most of my life, feeling like I could never measure up to anyone’s standards, especially God’s standard. When I would read passages that stated, “God blesses the righteous,” I just knew I wasn’t one of the righteous.
But the day I looked up the definition for justification, my heart swelled. Justified means to be made right. I had to stop right there. All this time I thought I could never be righteous enough for God, but Paul is telling me, that through Christ, I have been made righteous to God. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.
Thankful to be Reconciled
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Romans 5:10
Reconciled was another word I had to look up. I’d been hearing these words for almost two decades, but something about seeing the words with my own eyes, instead of hearing someone else talk about them, really brought the message to my heart.
Reconciled means to be brought back into a right relationship. Human kind’s love for sin and self made us enemies of God, separated from Him. But God desired to bring us—you and me—near to Him. God could have let us stay apart from Him forevermore, yet He chose to do something sacrificial so that we could be in a relationship with Him. Again, I had to just stop and give thanks.
Thankful for Grace
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more
Romans 5:20
To receive grace is to receive a gift that has not been earned or worked for. And this verse tells me that God’s grace is greater than any sin I could commit. Those missteps that trip me up over and over again—the ones that makes me wonder, “How many times will God forgive me for the same mistakes?”—His grace is greater than even those.
Knowing that I’ve been made righteous even though I’m decidedly unrighteous, brought back near to God when I could have been left alone, and given unlimited amounts of grace, gives me greater love for my friends, family, neighbors, and strangers. If God did all those things for me, and He did, then I know that He did all those things for the imperfect people around me. Looking at myself through grace-tinted glasses allows me to look at my neighbors the same way. Instead of seeing their shortcomings, I give thanks that together we can all live under the umbrella of God’s love and everything that entails.
I love to give thanks for the little things like coffee, chocolate, and baby laughter, but when I open my Bible, I’m overcome with gratitude for the work that God has done for me and those around me so we can be near Him. Thank you God for rescuing us from the domain of darkness and moving us with your own hand into the kingdom of Christ, where the light shines freely.
Meet Natalie Hilton
Natalie is a writer who helps introverted women embrace their God-given personalities as sacred gifts. She encouragers her readers to rest in God’s love so they can walk daily in quiet confidence. Natalie enjoys peaceful days with coffee and books, but rarely has them because she also loves spending time with her husband and three children. For gentle encouragement to be who God made you to be, read Natalie’s blog at nataliehilton.com.
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
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(+ 1 Simple Habit to Shift Your Direction)
If you long for deep, meaningful relationships, this is for you!
Creating Ripples
If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.
