In Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore is famous for saying (in his characteristically miserable tone), “Thanks for noticing me.” All of us know an Eeyore or two—people that couldn’t see the bright side of the sun on a cloudless day. However, for the Christian that is entirely out of character. It is illogical that one that has been reconciled to God while she was God’s enemy would make a practice of wallowing in self-pity.
In Scripture when it happens God does not overlook it. In 1 Kings 19 the prophet Elijah pouted by sitting under a tree and telling the Lord to take his life. God came to Elijah and asked him what he was doing. In Jonah chapter 4 the prophet also felt sorry for himself and asked God to take his life. Similarly, God chastised Jonah by telling him he had no right to be angry.
In both of those accounts the prophets had legitimate reasons to be disappointed with their circumstances, but it was inappropriate for them to turn their focus inward. The solution to accepting life’s disappointments is to fix our attention on the providence of God. There is great comfort when a child realizes that his Father has the entire situation under control and is working out every detail with the greatest precision. At that point it’s just not scary anymore.
One of the easiest and most direct ways to shift an inward focus to a godly one is to be thankful. How much time and effort do you put in to vocalizing thankfulness to God. Is it limited to dinner prayers that amount to “God is great, God is good, and we thank Him for this food”? The more detailed your prayers of thanksgiving are, the more you are required to search your mind and heart to identify what God has given to you and done for you. I’m not sure there is a more productive way to spend time.
To that end, pray through some of the following Scriptures, adding your words of gratitude for what God has done in these areas in your individual situation.
Creation: Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. (Ps. 104:1–2)
Safety: In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Ps. 4:8)
Mental capacity: For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 2:11)
Good gifts: And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness. (Neh. 9:25)
Blessings in worldly careers: For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people. (Esther 10:3)
Opportunities to do God’s will: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. (Ps. 40:8)
The victory of Jesus’ mission: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Lk. 19:10)
There are dozens and dozens of Scriptures that point our minds in the right direction and even give us the thankful words to pray. All of them take attention off ourselves and our negative opinions about our circumstances and flip them on their ear. Let’s take our cue from Asaph in Psalm 73, who also despaired of life until he meditated on God’s truth, remembering that He is in control, and is just and exceedingly merciful to His children. As a result he closed the psalm with the words, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all your works.” Let’s demonstrate a thankful attitude that He is our refuge and tell the world of all His works.