As 2017 comes to a close, I’ve thought a lot about the spiritual journey I traveled with my word [submit] and verse [Romans 12:2]. I must admit I thought I was already in a place of submission when this year started. I was not. I was in a place of obedience only. I would obey… eventually, but I did not seek Him first.
You see true submission is asking, not obeying (reluctantly) after you’ve been told. It’s about your heart not your actions. And over the past year, God has continuously shown me where my heart was broken. And, how that brokenness interfered with my ability to submit. It’s been life changing to say the least.
Thus, the question now becomes: What’s in store for 2018? I’ve prayed on this a lot lately. And I’ve had several words come to mind, including hope, pray, stay and teach. I could relate all of these to my life, but I didn’t sense God ordaining any of them. And then I had a really rough day – perhaps week even – during which God revealed a spirit lacking in gratitude. His revealing continued until he placed, as a word, “grateful” on my heart. And reminded me, as a verse, of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18… Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
It’s easy to exhibit gratitude when everything is going right. When you are truly enjoying the fruits of your labor and all seems well. But what happens when you lose your job and can’t find a new one. When you are diagnosed with cancer and can’t afford to pay for treatment. Or your marriage falls apart despite every effort on your behalf to hold it together. For me, it’s during life’s most trying moments that my perception and spirit of gratitude fall apart. Yet, I believe this is not how God envisioned life would go. I believe he would have my gratitude drive my perception of life’s circumstances rather than my perception of life’s circumstances drive my level of gratitude.
So as 2017 comes to a close, I will remember to seek God first in all things and allow his word, will and guidance to transform me in every area of life. And I will walk into 2018 desiring to truly exhibit a spirit of gratitude that transcends even the worst of life’s circumstances bringing glory and honor to my creator, my God, his Son, and the precious gift of salvation that comes as a result of his mercy and grace… which is sufficient enough.
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