GRATITUDE FOR THE GRIT (!!!)
by: Gracey Sanderson, TRUEFORM TEAM MEMBER
In times of trial, how do we shift away from our humanness, which drives us to shut down any hint of a perspective lined with positivity and hope, and rest in grace and gratitude for what is and is to come?
Hebrews 12: 10-11: “They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
We have been conditioned to view discipline in a negative way. The topic itself can often bring up uncomfortable feelings. When we experience hard times, we are initially angry. We feel as though we are being punished. Of course we are dismayed- we are uncomfortable! We ask “why” and become hyperfocused on the negative. That hyperfocus leads us down a path of tunnel vision, which God is patiently waiting for us to invite Him in to permeate it. In the same way that we sit in daily uncertainty of what the future holds, I believe we are supposed to have that same ambiguity in hardship. I do not think we are always supposed to know the why while we are actively in the valley. If we knew exactly why something hard was happening, we would never grow, build relationships, or drop our coping mechanisms in exchange for the Lord’s comfort. Trials offer us the opportunity to challenge our mindsets with the bibical truth that discipline and refinement lead to righteous peace.
Hebrews 12: 26-29: “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
The word above states that only unshakeable things remain when our God, a consuming fire, removes everything we have created. That fire clears and cleanses all of the distractions, temptations, unhealthy behaviors, attempts to gain control, and other strongholds we cling to in order to mold us in His image and bring us closer to Him. WOW! Our God wants to take away these painful ways of living we often put ourselves through.
Back to the original question
When in a time of difficulty, we have been instructed on what to do to make room for the things that cannot be shaken, which in turn, leads to boundless gratitude.
Cling to the truth that discipline leads to peace
The word does not say, “It will take a month”, “It will pass if you pray hard enough”, “It will get better if you go to church more”, or any other time frames we want to put on it. The word says, “It later yields…” We must hold onto what is said without changing it to our agendas. The promise is there and it is open-ended. We are not meant to put our own timeline on it. It has been said, so it will be.
When we begin to recognize and hold these verses as true, our hearts and minds start to shift into that desired place of gratitiude that we are often searching for. Surrender to the Lord, and He will provide so much more than we could ever hope or imagine.
Written by Gracey Sanderson @Gracey_Sanderson on IG (!)