Gratitude In Every Season
Lamentations 3:17-25 NLT
17 Peace has been stripped away,
and I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 I cry out, “My splendor is gone!
Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!”
19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.[a]
20 I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends![b]
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
Gratitude is not us denying that we have hard times. It's simply not letting those hard times define us.
1. Gratitude Must Be Remembered
Lamentations 3:21-22 NLT
21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Persistent ingratitude can lead your heart from God.
Gratitude is not pretending that nothing has happened and that everything is good. It’s simply refusing to forget what has been good.
2. Gratitude Must Be Practiced
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:11-12 NLT
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.
“Gratitude is very similar to exercise. We know it's good to be grateful and show it - just as we all know it's good to go to the gym and workout. But just as fitness demands that we make a routine and overcome a natural desire to do nothing, so we also need to make a habit of being grateful, even if we don't feel it.” - Arthur C. Brooks
Gratitude has to be a choice before it's a feeling.
If we become so consumed with the negativity in our lives, then we might miss what God is doing right in front of us.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
3. Gratitude Must Be Released
Lamentations 3:21-25 NLT
21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends![a]
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
“Feeling Gratitude And Not Expressing It Is Like Wrapping A Present And Not Giving It.” - William Ward
Our gratitude should show up in our prayer, in our worship, and in our lives.
Let your whole life be a thank you to God.
Colossians 3:17 NIV
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Talk It Over Questions
1. What’s something you’re thankful for right now that you might have overlooked before this message?
2. Read Lamentations 3:17–25. The writer’s circumstances hadn’t changed, but his focus did. What stands out to you about his honesty in suffering and his decision to remember God’s faithfulness?
3. When have you experienced God’s faithfulness during a difficult season? How could remembering that help you with something you’re facing today?
4. How can we practice gratitude without pretending everything is okay? What might it look like to bring both your pain and your thankfulness to God?
5. “Let your whole life be a thank you to God.” What is one practical way you will express gratitude this week through your words, your worship, or how you treat others?
Ask Your Kids
We are a Part of Something Big
1. If you were to invent a machine or robot, what would be the different parts you would include?
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 together.
2. When we trust and follow Jesus, we each become individual members of the body of Christ. We are not part of His physical body, but we belong to Jesus, along with everyone else who trusts in Him. How can the way our different body parts work together remind us that we are part of the body of Christ?
3. When we trust and follow Jesus, we are all important parts of God’s family. We can help and care for the people in God’s family. What are some ways you can help and care for people in God’s family?
