Finding Joy and Strength in Everyday Gratitude :: [Ep. 244]

Finding Joy and Strength in Everyday Gratitude :: [Ep. 244]

Thanksgiving isn't just a holiday—it's a way of life that can revolutionize our marriages and personal relationships. Imagine the transformation that occurs when we nurture gratitude even in the midst of life's chaos. Drawing inspiration from the remarkable resilience of Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy in the face of extreme adversity, we explore how a thankful heart can reveal unexpected blessings. Join us as we share moving stories that highlight the power of prayer, patience, and unwavering trust in God's guidance, offering you practical ways to weave gratitude into the fabric of daily life.

How can worshipful gratitude create a foundation for stronger, biblically healthy marriages? We tackle this question by reflecting on scriptures like Psalm 100, which remind us of the joy found in worship and thankfulness. By maintaining our focus on God's love and promises, we can transform our lives and align our desires more closely with His will. Listen in to discover how embracing a thankful heart not only renews faith but also strengthens the bonds we share with those we love, encouraging us to live a life rich in gratitude every day, not just during the festive season.

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Chapters

• 0:04 Living a Life of Grateful Thanksgiving
• 10:13 Transforming Marriages Through Thankful Living
• 10:49 [Ad] The Bible is Alive! - Read the Bible in a Year - NIV
• 11:33 (Cont.) Transforming Marriages Through Thankful Living
• 23:12 Building a Life of Worshipful Thanksgiving

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Welcome to Vows to Keep Radio with David and Tracy Sellers. The mission of Vows to Keep is to help couples develop a biblically healthy marriage through the application of God's Word and a deeper relationship with Him. They desire to help you and your spouse grow closer to each other and closer to the heart of God's design for your marriage. Now here's David and Tracy with today's broadcast.

Speaker 2: 0:30

I'm sure you've all noticed a wide array of holiday decorations in the stores right now. How could you miss them? Even back in August, some stores had their Christmas decorations up and as I visited Walmart I've noticed it began with one or two aisles of Christmas decor in the back of the store. September and October came and the Halloween decorations took center stage, but Christmas aisles also multiplied. While I'm trying to focus on fall and all the fun festivities it brings, christmas decorations tempt my gaze.

Speaker 2: 0:59

I admire the few rows of fallen Thanksgiving decorations sprinkled amidst the vastness of Christmas Signs that say grateful, thankful, blessed, or give thanks with a joyful heart or simply just blessed. I read these signs and I think am I grateful and thankful? Do I give thanks with a joyful heart? Does my attitude show that I believe I'm blessed? If you're looking to live a life of worshipful Thanksgiving and see it transform your marriage and your life from the inside out, we're really glad you're here with us today.

Speaker 2: 1:29

On vows to keep radio, the show where you get sound biblical counsel you can apply immediately to your marriage. We're your hosts, david and tracy, sellers of vows to keep. We're biblical marriage counselors, authors, teachers, podcast hosts, radio hosts and conference speakers, and if you want to get back to being on fire for your spouse and for God, you are definitely in the right place. So here I am, standing in the middle of the Walmart aisle and I'm looking at those little signs of Thanksgiving. I'm surrounded by the abundance of Christmas decor and it seems everyone around me is just in a rush to get through Thanksgiving. Why is that?

Speaker 3: 2:02

I think it boils down to the fact that there's no presents involved, after all. What's so exciting about a holiday on which you get nothing A feast for the family, some great football, maybe a day or two off work? But really it's easy to wonder what else is Thanksgiving good for? I remember as a kid one Thanksgiving tradition that used to happen around my dinner table was a suggestion let's go around the table and everyone say one thing you're grateful for.

Speaker 3: 2:28

That's a nice gesture, an important action of showing thankfulness. But does that mean showing thankfulness? Should it be a one-time thing, an occasional? You know thank you God when we feel like something happened the way we wanted it to? Should it be something that we practice like no complain November, when you list something you're grateful for every day of the month, or should we take it one step further and write down three specific things we're thankful for at the end of every day for an entire year? Is thankfulness something we show when we receive, something Like writing thank you cards or inviting people over to say thank you, or is it something more?

Speaker 2: 3:09

When I think of those grateful, thankful, blessed signs in the store and I wrestle with the wonderings of whether my attitude and life reflect a heart of gratitude, I'm tempted to buy them and hang them all around my house because I hope in some way those words are going to rub off on me.

Speaker 2: 3:24

Because the truth is, if I'm being brutally honest, I'm a lot like Walmart. I save a little bit of space for gratefulness, but devote an awful lot of time trying to sell myself on temporary things that are never going to satisfy, like comfort, material items, short term accomplished goals, a clean house, a larger income, a trimmer body the list can go on and on. So, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, let's first spend some time today remembering why we should be thankful. Next, we'll discuss how gratefulness isn't to be limited to an occasional thanks God. Rather, it should be a way of worshipful living. We're going to talk about how that actually happens. Practically, what does it look like to live in genuine gratitude to the Lord? And then, finally, we're going to look at how worshipful living will transform our lives and our marriages from the inside out.

Speaker 3: 4:12

A number of years ago, my younger brother lost his first wife to cancer. It was very fast moving cancer that took her incredibly fast. They had four kids under the age of five and I remember thinking how hard and heartbreaking this was. How does the world keep turning? Couldn't everyone just stop?

Speaker 3: 4:36

Years later, as my brother was consoling others who were going through similar losses, I remember him saying and not his exact words, but a message that was very clear no matter what happens, no matter what life brings, you must keep praising God, keep thanking him. He is good, he is a good God and he's worthy of our praise. He said. I know it's hard, I know sometimes you may not want to, you won't feel like it, but he is worthy. Choose to give God thanks and praise.

Speaker 3: 5:11

And as I heard these words from him, it took me by surprise. Here is someone who had every reason to succumb to sadness, to bend to bitterness, to be holed up in hopelessness, but rather than focus on the brokenness of life, with all of its flaws and failures, he turned his eyes to the one who could somehow work it all together for his family's good and to God's glory. And that's where we always need to start, with our eyes fixed on him, the one who loves us best, the one who loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus to pay the price, to die on the cross, to rise again, so that we can be in relationship with him, even when we bend and break, even when the world falls apart, even when we try and fail. If we have placed our faith in Christ, we're children of the most high God. In 1 John 3, it says see what kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and so we are.

Speaker 2: 6:19

And that's why we should be grateful, because the God of the universe loves us. He desires a relationship with us. Think about what he did. He stepped into all of our muck and our mire, our sin and our shame, our brokenness and our evil, and he reached out to us and said I love you, I want you to be my child. Come, follow me. Doesn't that make your heart just want to scream, thank you, lord. Well, sometimes not right. If it doesn't.

Speaker 2: 6:46

Today, let me encourage you to spend some devoted time with Jesus, pray that he would show you who he is and to draw you closer to himself. Read his word daily, make a habit of it and talk to other believers in Christ who know him, who know his word. But first talk to him. Share your heart with him. The good, the bad, but first talk to him. Share your heart with him, the good, the bad and the ugly. He knows it all anyway. He just wants you to talk with him about it so that he can walk with you through it, showing you the best way, his way, because he is the way, the truth and the life. He is the way to the Father and he loves you.

Speaker 2: 7:20

Are you feeling grateful?

Speaker 2: 7:21

Yet this sure helps me to get there, but it's so easy to lose sight of him and focus all of my time and attention on all that's wrong in my life or all that could be better. I find it hard to be thankful when I'm focused on the imperfections in my life. I think God, being the loving father that he is, he knows that's going to be a natural outcome of our sin nature. That's why he tells us in Hebrews, chapter 12, to strip off every weight, every sin that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up, and to run the race with endurance, the race that God has set before us. We do this, hebrews 12 says, by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Eyes fixed on him, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith, eyes fixed on him, the one who loves us best. It's how we're to walk in him. Colossians chapter two speaks to that to walk in him, rooted and built up in him, established in the faith, and get this abounding in thanksgiving.

Speaker 3: 8:21

Why should we be thankful? Because even when our lives look terrible and things seem to crumble around us, he is still good, he is still perfect, he is still all-knowing and all-loving and he still loves us and gives us eternal life in Jesus Christ. This life is temporary. Just wait and see what he has for us after this. We can only imagine it's enough to make us say with King David in Psalm 103, bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all of his benefits.

Speaker 2: 9:01

Now that we've reminded ourselves why we should be grateful, let's spend some time looking at how we give thanks to God and show him our genuine gratitude. If you're anything like me, it's easy to fall into the humdrum routine of quickly saying thanks God when something turns out the way I hoped or, to be more accurate, the way I think it should turn out. I don't think those thank you moments are bad. I think we need to have them, but I don't want them to be the only moments of Thanksgiving that I offer to my father. What about when things don't go as planned? You and your spouse are fighting. The car broke down on the way to work, the medical diagnosis is worse than you thought, your child is not who you raised her to be. What, then, does God deserve our thanks? Absolutely, and we already discussed that when we talked about why we should be grateful. It's because of who God is and what he's done. But practically, what does that look like in our lives? How can we make giving thanks go from just one or two aisles in Walmart to a total store takeover? How can we live in a completely thankful way, living worshipful lives in the midst of any and every situation, good or bad.

Speaker 2: 10:13

Hi, this is Tracy from Vows to Keep Radio. We're asking you to help us become fully funded, so Vows to Keep has the financial resources to keep sharing hope with marriages like yours. God is growing this ministry tremendously and the testimonies we hear confirm that God's word does not return void. Right now we need an additional $6,500 a month. Would you consider becoming a monthly partner with us to build biblically healthy marriages? We're asking 100 families to give $50 a month and 60 families to give $25 a month. Prayerfully, make your best gift at VowsToKeepcom.

Speaker 3: 11:29

If you've never heard of Corrie ten Boom, she's a Christian author and speaker with a testimony as a survivor of the Holocaust. Corrie and her sister Betsy were imprisoned by the Nazis for hiding Jews in their Holland home. The prison conditions were unbearable. In her book the Hiding Place, she writes of life in the barracks. It grew harder and harder, she said. Even within these four walls there was too much misery, too much seemingly pointless suffering. Every day something else failed to make sense. Every day something else grew too heavy.

Speaker 3: 12:06

When they were moved to barracks 28, corrie was horrified when she discovered their disgusting straw beds swarmed with fleas. How could they live in such a place? It was Betsy who discovered God's answer in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 16 through 18. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. Betsy said we can start right now to thank God for every single thing about these new barracks, and they did. They thanked God for the fact that they were together. They thanked God for the fact that about these new barracks and they did. They thanked God for the fact that they were together. They thanked God for the fact that they had a Bible. They even thanked God for the crowds of prisoners in these horrible conditions because that would mean more people could hear God's word. And then Betsy thanked God for the fleas. The fleas Corey thought that's just too much, betsy. There's no way even God can make me grateful for a fleas. The fleas Corey thought that's just too much, betsy, there's no way even God can make me grateful for a flea. Hey, give thanks in all circumstance. Betsy quoted it doesn't say just in pleasant circumstances. Fleas are a part of this place where God has put us. So they gave thanks for the fleas. Well, as it turned out, the fleas, yeah, they were a nuisance, but they were also a blessing. Let me explain. The women were able to have Bible studies in the barracks with a great deal of freedom, never bothered by supervisors coming in and harassing them, and what they discovered was that it was the fleas that kept those supervisors out. Through these fleas, god protected the women from abuse and harassment. Dozens of desperate women were free to hear the comforting, hope-giving word of God. Through those fleas, god protected the women from much worse things and made sure that they had their deepest, truest needs met.

Speaker 3: 13:59

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. You may be fighting with your wife for the fifth time today. You may be brokenhearted because of a secret your husband has been keeping. Perhaps your spouse has said something so hurtful you don't know if you're ever going to be able to forgive them. God tells us to rejoice in him. God why? Because he has the power to forgive. He has the power to heal and to make new things in your marriage and in him we can forgive our spouse and work to heal and bring a new to our marriage.

Speaker 3: 14:43

Pray constantly. Why? Because he hears our prayers and is faithful to answer them in the best ways suited to us, for the health of our marriages and our circumstances. And, speaking of circumstances, give thanks in all of them, even the crummy ones. Why? Because we know that for all those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purposes. That's found in Romans 8. In every circumstance, god will provide for our every need and if we keep our eyes fixed on him, our desires will align with his. As St Teresa of Lisieux said, god gives me whatever I want, because I want whatever he gives.

Speaker 2: 15:26

So let's recap because God is good and worthy, we rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances. That is worshipful living. But how does worshipful living transform our lives and marriages from the inside out? Why does being thankful really matter to my marriage?

Speaker 2: 15:43

I have a friend who's currently walking through a time of transition in her life that is really stressing her marriage and she wanted me to share her story with you today because she thought maybe you could relate. The job she's had for almost 15 years is a really great job. She's really good at it. There's a lot of perks to her staying in her current occupation. But for the last year she's had a persistent nudging from the Lord that maybe there's something different he has in mind for her. Here's the deal though Her husband isn't convinced it's the best move for their family. Can they swing it financially? Now? She's told me she's not going to make the decision to change careers unless two things happen Number one, god makes it really clear that it's his will and number two, her husband is in full support, even though she's struggling.

Speaker 2: 16:28

I love how she's taking this time of unanswered questions, this time of uncertainty, and she's bringing it to God in prayer. She keeps scripture really close at hand, like this one from Philippians 4, 6. It says don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And Colossians 4.2 continues steadfastly in prayer, being watchful. In it, with thanksgiving, she's being intentional about giving thanks for this season of life, and I commend her for that. She's being intentional about giving thanks for the uncertainty because it's pushing her to seek God's will harder. She's being intentional to give thanks because there's questions that force her back to God's word for answers. She told me she finishes every prayer with this statement Lord, I love you, I trust you In Jesus' name, amen.

Speaker 2: 17:22

I know my friend's love for the Lord and yet I know she's also struggling with frustration. She's struggling with temptation to isolate from her husband and she's really struggling with a lack of joy. She's also struggling to see the connection of worshipful living and a transformed life and marriage. She shared a moment she had a few months ago where she heard God say marriage. She shared a moment she had a few months ago where she heard God say every day, you say you trust me, but are you living like you trust me? Now? That got her attention. She thought okay, if I really believe God will take care of this, why am I anxious? Why am I stressed out about this every day? I need to live as though I believe his promises, that he's got it all taken care of.

Speaker 2: 18:03

She knows all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding yes. We see that in 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 20. So therein lies the key. Worshipful living means believing his promises, not just giving lip service, but deep down in the quietest, darkest parts of our hearts, believing what he says is true, to the point of living it out in our lives. To believe God's promises, though, we've got to know his promises, and to know his promises, we've got to be in his word. There are so many promises of God in scripture, ones that aren't flippant, they're not casual, they're ironclad, they're rock solid commitments made by God to us, his children, and that's something to be thankful for.

Speaker 3: 18:47

I want to spend some time looking at just a few of these promises, and we'll close with how they transform. First and foremost, in 2 Corinthians 5, he promises a new life in Christ. Romans 1 adds to this. He promises salvation for all who believe in his son. There is no greater promise fulfilled, no greater blessing than the free gift of salvation For someone who's listening to my voice and they haven't put their faith in Christ. There's a free gift of grace and salvation waiting for you to grab hold of. I pray that you do For those of you that have put your faith in Christ. These promises mean we have a new life in Christ. We're free from sin and its power. This doesn't mean we'll never sin again, but it does mean sin doesn't have the hold on us that it once did. Think about what sins of yours are standing in the way of unity with your spouse. Pray for God to remove that sin, to tear down that division, and then remind yourself that this sin has no power over what God has brought together. The promises don't stop here. He promises that all things will work out for the good of his children. We find that in Romans 8.28.

Speaker 3: 20:02

Do you believe the same is true for you and your marriage? What areas are you struggling to believe that what seems like it's never going to change, it's never going to be healed, there'll never be forgiveness? Guess what? Even that area, the very one that's on your mind, god has the ability to work out for your good and your spouse's good. Just be faithful to what God asks you to do in his word and leave the results to God.

Speaker 3: 20:29

God also promises comfort in our trials. We see that in 2 Corinthians, chapter 1. So what are you turning to for comfort in your life? No amount of Netflix binging or money or attention from others, or alcohol or drugs or sex, or me time, or perfectionism or vacation, or fill in the blank. None of that stuff is going to satisfy or comfort. Like the Lord. Bring your emptiness before him and just ask him to fill you with his comfort. In Philippians 1, he promises to finish the work he started in us. In Philippians 4, he promises peace when we pray.

Speaker 3: 21:14

Where is God working in your marriage when we pray? Where is God working in your marriage? Where do you need to work on transparency and honesty? Do you need to make more time to pray for and with each other? How's your physical intimacy? Have you placed more focus on your children than each other? Wherever there's a need, god is working. That's why he tells us don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God will surpass all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus. Don't miss that Pray with thanksgiving, because God will and is providing whatever you need most, whatever your marriage needs most. It's a done deal. He's taking care of it. We can have peace. Thank you, jesus.

Speaker 2: 22:10

Remember my friend, the one struggling with a change in career and unity with her husband. I spoke with her the other day and asked her how she was doing. She said she's clinging to 2 Corinthians 9, verses 8 and 11. That says and God will generously provide all you need, then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. Yes, you'll be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. She knows this means that no matter what career change or no career change, god is going to provide all that she and her family needs. Always they have everything they need.

Speaker 2: 22:44

That's a promise from God. Not only that they're going to have plenty left over to share with others and I'm not talking about money. She's trusting God's promise that she's going to be enriched in every way so that she can always be generous to her husband, to her kids and to the other people that God's placed in her life, whether it's at her current job or elsewhere. And the same is true for all of us. The path ahead may not be clearly marked. The road may look pretty rocky ahead, maybe even insurmountable at times, but we can trust that God is with us, working it out for good, trust in his promises, live as though you believe those promises, then your life and your marriage will be transformed. And a life transformed stems from a heart of thanksgiving Thanksgiving for who God is and how he is working.

Speaker 3: 23:35

Let's not limit Thanksgiving to one day. Let's not cheapen it to an overlooked holiday. Instead, let gratitude, grace, your heart, spill over into your life to help you live in worshipful Thanksgiving, no matter your circumstances. Let's ask God to give us a heart like David in Psalm 100 when he says shout to the Lord all the earth, worship the Lord with gladness, come before him singing with joy, acknowledging the Lord is God, he made us and we're his, we're his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, go into his courts of praise, give thanks to him and praise his name, for the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Speaker 2: 24:29

We're so excited that you've joined us here today on Vows to Keep Radio. Look for new episodes every week that'll help you build a biblically healthy marriage, and check out our new blog on our website at VowsToKeepcom.

Speaker 1: 24:47

Vows to Keep is supported by a team which includes biblical coaches, writers and pastoral advisors. If you have a desire to serve marriages in your community, we would love to hear from you. Vows to Keep is a not-for-profit marriage ministry designed to bring God's encouraging truth to the marriages of our area. As a not-for-profit organization, our commitment to Christlike marriages includes providing much-needed services, regardless of a couple's financial ability to offset the cost of Vows to Keep operations. If you are unable to donate your time or abilities but would like to help support Vows to Keep operations, if you are unable to donate your time or abilities but would like to help support Vows to Keep financially, visit VowsToKeepcom and click on the donate link. This program is sponsored by Vows to Keep of Zanesfield, ohio.