And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
Luke 17:15-16
There were 10 lepers, and all of them wanted to be healed. Jesus healed them, but only one came back and thanked him. The last couple of weeks I almost became one of the nine. God started answering somethings I have been praying about for a long time, like a decade. I was excited for a little while, but all too soon I was obsessing about the next thing on my prayer list instead of praising God and telling others what He had done for me.
So, when you are facing giants and God begins to move, what should you do? I think a moment of gratitude is called for at the very least. Since I know I am prone to moving on to the next thing, I think we need to take a moment to not only praise God but also capture the moment for posterity.
Look Around
O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
Psalm 104:24
In a movie once, I saw a guy stop and start naming all the good things he saw around him in an effort to calm his anxiety. I thought that was an awesome way to bring my eyes and heart back into focus and out of the valley of “what-ifs.” When we let worry take over, it is usually because we took our eyes off of God.
To reset your focus, take a look around you. What do you see? Right now, I can see the riotous colors of fall all around me. I can also see answers to prayer even on a small scale. Like helping me remember a detail that is bugging me or my friend surprising me with a meatball sub that I had been craving for days. When we look around, we can find countless things to be grateful for that remind us that God is able and willing to handle whatever comes our way.
Jot it Down
My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Psalm 45:1
I don’t know about you, but I often forget many of the little blessings God leaves in my path, so I try to jot them down in my journal. At the end of the day or the beginning of the next, I write down all the things that God has shown me or how he has blessed me. Then, if I am having a difficult time, it will realign my thoughts and spirit.
You can also go back to your journals when life seems overwhelming and remember what God has already done. This shores up our faith in difficult seasons because we know He has done it before, and He will do it again.
Be Content
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Phil. 4:11
Writing down what you have to be grateful for can also quell the cultural desire for more. We don’t need more because God gives us enough. How many times have you gotten the newest tech toy that you thought you had to have only to be disappointed or bored within a few weeks because you see something else?
Take stock of what you have even when you may be facing financial hardships. Maybe you can’t afford your favorite meal this week, but you are not going hungry. Instead of dwelling on what you don’t have, make a list of what you do have. I find it changes my perspective. I may not have all I want, but I always have all I need. So, when you are feeling down, look around for God’s blessings, jot them down, and you will find you are more content. It’s the best way I know to squelch the demon of “more.”
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