Gratitude instead of complacency. What would happen if we approached life with gratitude rather than complacency? Many people think the opposite of gratitude is complaining. While this could be true in some instances, I believe the true enemy of gratitude is complacency.
When we look at life through a lens of complacency, our heart isn’t sold out for the adventure God has called us to. Part of our calling is to be grateful for all God has given to us. I wander through life without seeing the blessings God has put in front of me every day.
Seeing God in the little things allows me to feel the love letter God has written uniquely for me. Yes, the ultimate love letter from God is the Bible. However, I believe God wants to speak with us on a personal level.
To our heart.
To our soul.
And breathe eternity into our lives. He does this by showering us with little and big blessings every day.
I can see someone scrunching their nose and pressing their lips together as they read this thinking, “Um, no, God doesn’t bless me every day. What are you talking about?”
Here’s what I’m talking about, start looking for the blessings with a lens of gratitude.
Is the sun shining today to brighten your day? Thank God.
Are your children healthy? Thank God. (At the time I write this, mine are suffering from the stomach flu. Yuck! Anyone else tired of this cold and flu season?)
Do you have a warm place to sleep? Thank God.
Do you have a full belly? Thank God.
It’s not always in the big things where God blesses us. He wants to see us be faithful in the small things too. This means appreciating the little daily gifts He provides. In Luke 16:10 (NLT) “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
I’ve spoken in the past about my daily habits to be faithful in my calling. By creating these small, daily habits, I became intention with my life. Before creating these daily habits, I was complacent with my life. I grew tired of hoping and praying for my dreams to come true, but I wasn’t doing anything to make it happen.
There is a difference in being content and being complacent too. When I’ve wanted to move forward and create change in one area of my life, I’ve heard, “Why can’t you be content with what you have? Stop working so hard.”
I believe God wants us to be content, but he doesn’t want us complacent. Content is resting in the assurances that God has everything in His hands. He doesn’t need our help.
However, He wants our willing actions to be part of the adventure He has called us to through the dreams He has placed in our hearts. In Psalms 119:2 (NLT) it says “Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.”
Do you need to replace complacency with gratitude? How are you moving forward with gratitude? Share it in the comments below to help others.
I appreciate that! And I swear, as I read, the sun came out! (just after reading about the sun shining)
Glad you liked the post and that the sun came out for you!
Gratitude even in times of trial? James says count it all joy. (James 1). Thanks for the perspective.
Thank you for the comment! Yes, it can be difficult, but you are right, we are to be thankful for the trials, too.