The Spiritual Battle Part III—Gratitude
Spiritual Warfare doesn’t have to be so dramatic! I simply remember my favorite things and then I . . . THANK GOD!
When most Christians think of spiritual warfare, deliverance prayer and dynamic renunciations immediately come to mind. Catholics take it one step further and picture Padre Pio physically fighting the devil in his cell! “The power of Christ compels you . . .” and all that jazz! Although there is a time and a place for such battles, in our everyday fight for joy, there is a much less dramatic way to keep the enemy at bay. Gratitude. Yup! Simple, but the single most powerful weapon in your armory, I promise you!
Think about it. What does the enemy use to manipulate, intimidate, and confuse you? Negative thoughts, but specifically dissatisfaction. When you are dissatisfied with your marriage, job, friendships, and/or yourself, you are vulnerable to the opinions of others and their suggestions. Thoughts like: maybe there is something wrong with me, or I never get it right, or I just don’t deserve any better . . . These thoughts open you to suggestions like: why not have an affair or stop eating so you can fit into a size 0, or maybe the world would be better off without you . . . The more you feel worse, the self-talk gets darker and more difficult to overcome. I know I’m not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but I believe humble gratitude (combined with therapy and medications for some) could help just about anybody climb off the ledge. I’ll explain . . .
Many times, we get into trouble with our thoughts because our sinful human nature gets in the way. We believe that we deserve more, and if we could have more, we falsely believe we would be content and satisfied. But one look at the rich and the famous proves that theory wrong. Yet our fallen nature gives us a strange amnesia when it comes to maintaining grateful satisfaction. Remember the story of Adam and Eve? The sneaky serpent points out the one tiny thing they lack in a garden of blessings and plants a seed of doubt, “Did God say you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?” Later, the serpent makes the false promise, that our current culture continues to sell us on: “For God knows that when you eat of it [the forbidden fruit] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3: 1-5). Just think of drug addiction. There is a plethora of opportunity for clean recreation in the world, but the drug dealer tempts the addict to do what is risky and illegal to “open your eyes”. Here the serpent is pointing out the one thing God asked Adam and Eve to avoid, and lies about what they will gain if they disobey God’s word. The devil tempts them, the same way he continues to tempt us today: you are dissatisfied and if you have this, you will feel better, be better, maybe even god-like. But this is the biggest lie that we continue to fall for to this day. If only Eve would have counted the ways in which she already had been blessed and trusted God, she might have avoided the fall of human nature. Don’t fret, we still have the possibility for redemption.
What if you could look at your personal garden and choose to be satisfied, even grateful for it? Our current woke culture feels compelled to point out how some have been systematically oppressed and ostracized from certain opportunities. And sure, there may be some benefit to becoming aware of these dysfunctional structures, to topple them and rebuild a more just society. I’m just not convinced, any human is entirely capable of rebuilding utopia, where all is fair and square, on this side of heaven. We are only human after all and lack the eternal perspective of God’s vision for humanity and its redemption. What I propose is looking at your lot in life—race, culture, rank, privilege or lack thereof—and choosing to be grateful for what you have been given. There is something so powerful and authentic in loving and ENJOYING the little you have been given. Only when we are grateful for the resources at our disposal can we begin to truly utilize them for our good and that of humanity.
With a poverty mindset, I could look back at my life and see many instances where I was cheated from having the better opportunities or the best of the best. Here are some facts about me: I was born to an immigrant family of low economic means; my dad left when I was 13 complicating my relationships with men thereafter; I was of average intelligence and talent making success elusive; I struggled with health issues leading to infertility; I adopted a child who never recovered from his brain injury at birth. Whoa! If I look at my garden through a poverty lens, I just want to set it ablaze and watch it burn! But the truth, the whole truth is NOT getting everything I have ever wanted has been the biggest blessing of my life! It has made me resilient, persistent, and full of grit. It is very tough to knock me down. And when I am knocked down, I am able jump right back on my feet because I have had plenty of practice. LOL.
Friends, what if you can be grateful for your “shitty” lot right now? What if you can look at your story differently and see it as your training ground to becoming your best self? Besides, who’s story is most interesting? The story of a trust fund baby living her best life, or the one about the ghetto girl who worked her ass off and made it despite all the odds! I am biased, but I prefer the latter.
Yet, none of these words have impact without humility. Gratitude can’t happen if you feel you deserve better than the person next to you. This is where the devil wins hearts and minds on the spiritual battlefront. There is a shameful part of our hearts that feels a bit more entitled to the best of life than our neighbor. Furthermore, we secretly believe we would do so much better with privilege than the next person. That’s just bananas! WE ARE ALL EQUALLY MESSED UP! We all have a fallen nature and want more than what we truly deserve. Think about it. Why would you deserve 3 square meals a day over the starving children in the third world? Why do you deserve a peaceful and safe environment, while others dodge bombs and bullets in their war-torn countries? Are you more special or deserving? No. Any other answer is ridiculous. The truth is you and I are blessed beyond what we deserve. All that you and I have is a gift. Any ability we possess to earn and keep what we have is also a gift. One that we could lose in an instant. So why waste your precious time wondering what life could have been or could be if you could have a different lot? Your little lousy lot in life is all you got! And there is no rule that says that you cannot improve upon it, transform it, and make it grow. As a matter of fact, this is God’s will for you and your lot. He put you in your garden “to till it and keep it” (Genesis 2: 15). So why not take off the poverty lenses, stop complaining and get to work? You may not have all the privileges and gifts of the fortunate few, but you have all the beauty and potential you can handle. Be humble enough to acknowledge you probably would make a mess of things, even if you had all the privilege in the world.
How do I win with gratitude? I know just enough about myself, to recognize I don’t deserve the beautiful life I have. Some of you will think I am being self-debasing. I promise you, I’m not. I truly believe God has given me everything I have. Everything I have is a precious gift which deserves gratitude. I lose the battle when I start to believe I deserve something better than what I got. I win, every time, when I love what I have and enjoy it to the fullest. Gratitude is how I leave the devil without any foothold in my life. So, the next time you feel cheated, dissatisfied, and tempted to covet and strive for what others have, look at your lot with gratitude for all that it is and all it can become. And remember, the little you do have can be lost in an instant. Life and health are guaranteed to no one.
Next time, let’s get physical! Let’s explore how to confront your joylessness on the Physical Battlefront. Until then, be grateful for your lot and enjoy it! God bless you!