You see more of what you’re looking for

 

If you’ve read any of my recent blog posts or sat through any of my Ladies Bible Studies lately, you will know that I’ve been slightly obsessed with the subject of gratitude and thankfulness for some time now.

I didn’t start out to become so interested in studying what the Bible has to say on the subject, but the more I studied and the more I wrote in my gratitude journal daily, the more I wanted to learn about how God sees thankfulness and what is to be my response to the precious gifts he showers upon me, as undeserving as I am.

For some time, I have had it in my mind to write about something that goes along with this theme of thankfulness and as I was checking my emails today, I read a blog post from a woman who seemed to have stolen my thoughts, and I decided it was time to put pencil to paper, so to speak.

My thought is this. You see more of what you’re looking for. I know. Not very profound. But let me explain.

Have you ever noticed that if you are hunting for a particular thing to buy, such as a new car for example, that all of the sudden, you see so many of that certain make and model that it seems uncanny.

You’re wanting to purchase a Toyota Hilux 4WD, dual cab, 2.8L within a certain year range, and as you drive down the highway, and around town, at every turn you see them. What is going on?

And not only cars. Maybe it’s a breed of dog you’re in the market for. And now, they’re everywhere.

So where am I going with this? Well, I truly believe that if we set our minds and our hearts to develop a heart of gratitude, determined to be thankful and take notice of the gifts God gives us, we will begin to see them in the most unlikely places.

When we choose to be grateful in all circumstances, we start to see things to be thankful for in situations that we normally would only find fault in and frustration and ungratefulness.

As we start to look deeper, under the surface, digging into our daily lives and the problems that we face, we begin to unearth little blessings that we can praise God and thank him for.

Before I started writing down daily a few things I was thankful for, there were many things I took for granted and never even gave a thought to thanking God. But as I sat each morning, determined to write down at least 3 things, I found that I kept thinking of more and more things that I could thank God for. I couldn’t stop at just 3.

Now, if you read some of my lists, you may sit and scratch your head at how seemingly insignificant they appear. For example, on one of my days I have written, “Vegemite toast and tea”. Now, I know that sounds too small and unimportant and you wonder, “does God really care to be thanked for that? “

But I believe he does. And I also believe that there is nothing too small to praise God for.

If I can sit and eat Vegemite on a piece of toasted white bread, lathered with butter and wash it down with a lovely, warm cup of tea, then I ought to be thankful for it. It didn’t just appear out of nowhere. God provided the money to buy the ingredients and the energy to work for that money, and the job needed to be able to provide the funds, and the appliance to toast the bread and boil the water and on and on the list goes and grows.

It really is true, that you see more of what you’re looking for. If you are on the lookout for things to be thankful for and you are searching each situation for something to be grateful for, then you’ll find it. It doesn’t matter how depressing or dire the circumstance is, you can always find something in it to thank God for. Otherwise, why would he give us this verse in Scripture?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

If the Bible commands us to give thanks in everything, then there must be something in everything to gives thanks for! We just have to look. Open your eyes. Dig deeper. Look harder. Don’t stop looking until you find something.

If you find more things to be thankful for because you are looking for them, then the opposite is sadly true too.

If you are always seeing the glass half empty, if you’re always finding fault in others, if you’re letting your thoughts dwell on your woeful circumstances and how life is treating you, then guess what? That’s right. You’re going to see more of what you think about because you have trained yourself to look at the negative and see the burdens. You have closed your eyes to the blessings, and your outlook is depressing and miserable. All you will see is the bad. You won’t even notice when God sends a small blessing because you’re too focused on what you don’t have rather than what you do.

If you have trouble seeing beyond the bad in your life, ask God to open your eyes to the things he’s doing that you can’t see. He’ll help you see the things you haven’t noticed. He’ll draw your attention to a beautiful sunset, the comfort of a cup of tea on a cold day, a beautiful bird song outside your window or a thousand other things.

I have so many things to say on this subject of thankfulness not because of any greatness or eloquence on my part, but because of the work the Lord is doing in my heart and the change it has made in my life as I learn to be truly thankful in everything.

Can I encourage you, if you’re struggling with developing a thankful spirit, maybe because of the circumstances you find yourself in presently, that even though you can’t see what God is doing in your life right now, at this moment, even though you find it hard to count your blessings, you can still thank him for the things he’s done in the past. There is no expiration date on God’s blessings. You can still mention them in a prayer of thanks, no matter how long ago you received them. 

Look back over your life and give God praise for what he’s done, and where he has brought you from. Praise him and thank him for all the blessings you have received over the years. Thank him for all the little blessings that maybe you had forgotten about and never stopped to thank him for.

And if you are still ungrateful and your glass is still half empty, then stop right now, fall on your face before him and thank him for your salvation. (And while you’re at it, repent of the sin of ingratitude. Yes, it’s sin. Read your Bible if you don’t believe me). If you are a child of God, then you have something that many in this world don’t have.

We were undeserving, sinners headed to hell, and God, in his love and mercy, came down to die on a cross for us. Instead of pouring out judgement, he extended grace. When we realise what he has done for us, we should be the most thankful people on earth.

When we focus on the blessings rather than the burdens, we are happier. When we start thanking God for the things we usually take for granted, our perspective changes. We realize that we could not even exist without the merciful blessings of a righteous, holy, loving God.

Start looking for things to thank God for. Intentionally search out the blessings in every situation. They are there. Believe me when I say that you WILL find them. You may have to pray that the Lord will open your eyes to them, and when he does, you will be amazed at the sights you see.

You will see more of what you’re looking for. Look for things to praise him for every day. Look for evidences of God’s love. Look for his blessings.

Look for sunshine after rain. Look for flowers in barrenness. Look for rainbows even when the sky is dark. Look for seashells hidden beneath the sand. Look for the beauty in the colours of a sunset. Listen for the birds as they sing their praise to God. Listen to thunder as it roars overhead and be reminded of God’s power. Listen for a child’s laughter and give thanks for the gift of life.

There is no limit to God’s goodness and there should be no limit to our thankfulness. Our voices should be always singing God’s praises. Don’t let a day go by without thanking God for something. Make a conscious effort to develop a heart of gratitude and watch how God changes your attitude and your perspective.

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

 

I see the sun rise in the morning
And a million stars at night
I hear the birds they can't stop singing
Hallelujah

I see his goodness
When I fall down
And his grace that picks me up
Every day I can't stop singing
Hallelujah

How can you not see God
In every little thing
In every little moment
How can you not feel loved
How can you not
How can you not 

'Cause he's in the middle of
Every little thing
And every little moment
How can you not see God
How can you not
How can you not 

I see the sunset and I wonder
If he paints it just for me
Nobody else could make a world so beautiful
How could I question his love when
It's everywhere I go
Wherever I look I find another miracle 

Everything is evidence

Showing me that you exist

All creation singing hallelujah

How can you not see God
In every little thing
In every little moment
How can you not feel loved
How can you not
       How can you not         

               Leanna Crawford