“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 NLT
So here’s where this series takes a more personal turn. I think here you’ll understand the reason I write about battling. Because I’ve been in a battle.
In the darkest, hardest times of my divorce, I remember looking at the little things that were happening in my life. Coincidences? There just seemed to be too many of them stacking up to be coincidence. So I began to write a few of them down and I called this list The “Little” Things.
It was really a gratitude journal. It was the little things that made a difference in my day, something that may have happened in an hour that got me through the rest of that day.
And as I journaled these things, I watched as the little things accumulated. And I began to think, even in my biggest wrestle with faith, my struggles, and my questioning of God—was He real?—I began to discover the places where gratitude for the little things was starting to shape my heart.
One thing I’ve been seeing: It seems the men with the most favorable prognosis are the ones who are the most grateful.
And by favorable prognosis, I define as the ones whose character is going to grow, to really influence the people around them, encourage others, reflect Jesus, and continue to fight through difficult seasons in life.
Gratitude. It’s key.
I think it’s why it’s mentioned so many times in the Bible. Maybe not by that word, but through reminders to thank God over and over and over again. To remember what He’s done, to reflect on it, to meditate on it, to dwell on it, and to thank Him for it all. Just check out the Psalms.
You see, I learned through my divorce that everything I have is a gift. Understanding that piece helps keep me a little bit more humble, and it helps me shift my mindset back to gratitude when I become discouraged, arrogant, overwhelmed, or caught up in the struggles of the fight.
Moving Forward
I wonder, where in your story today does gratitude fit in? Are you always finding things to complain about, or more things to be grateful for?
I’d encourage you to write down a few of the things that are meaningful to you. Keep a little journal. Talk through them with somebody else.
I believe the shift towards gratitude is really one of the most important things in your battle moving forward, because this is a shift in your mindset. I think Paul must understand this because it is so closely connected with prayer in the passage at the start of this article. In my opinion, by and large, your mind is the battlefield for where your heart will be won.