Theme:   A Surprising Key to Getting Unstuck - Gratitude versus Entitlement

This eDevotional was written by a volunteer from Timberlake Church. 

Read:  Psalm 107:15; Philippians 4:6

Think:  I used to be a pessimist.  Thankfully those days and that life of pessimism are behind me.  Now I’m even thankful for my pessimism.  I’m thankful it is in the past and I’m thankful that God used it to get me to see things differently and to get His perspective.

As a lifelong pessimist, my first experience with the discipline of gratitude was in a Christ centered recovery program called Celebrate Recovery (CR).  From the moment I walked in the door at my first meeting over seven years ago, it was apparent these people were grateful.  In fact in the meetings they introduce themselves as ‘grateful believers in Jesus Christ’.  I thought it was strange at first, but also refreshing to hear people so boldly proclaim their love for Christ, how He transformed them and to share how broken they once were.  It was an authentic environment and a very humbling experience to witness.  I was a life-long follower of Christ, but I had never seen anything like it before.

One of the reasons that they introduce themselves this way is because we are taught that our identity is in Christ, not what we do or what was done to us (insert alcoholic, workaholic, victim of abuse, co-dependent, addict or any number of character issues that we struggle with).  As strange as that first meeting seemed to me, I came back because I knew it was what I needed (even though I didn’t consider myself one of ‘those’ people or as broken as them). God has since revealed to me that we are all broken and need to work on our hurts, habits and hang-ups.

Shortly after my first meeting, I joined a dedicated small group that focused on working the Christ-centered 12 steps based on the Beatitudes.  By the time I reached Step 11, on gratitude, my pessimism was well on its way to being banished from my life.  That doesn’t mean I don’t still have doubts occasionally, but as I studied that lesson on gratitude and answered the workbook questions, it was easy to be grateful.   

I was grateful for:

1. Putting the right people in my life at the right time to point me in the direction of recovery.
2. Letting go of my pride and humbling me to accept help and to reach for it.
3. Igniting my need for spiritual growth and putting Him first.

I am still incredibly grateful for these things and so much more.  By the way, I am a very grateful believer in Jesus Christ, and a recovering workaholic who struggles with codependency, grief and loss.  I am exceedingly grateful to be a part of the team launching Celebrate Recovery at Timberlake this winter.  Having an attitude of gratitude instead of entitlement as a result of working through the 12 steps has made all the difference in my life and so many others.

Do: Consider participating in Celebrate Recovery at Timberlake or joining the ministry team as we prepare to launch this transformational program.  No recovery experience is necessary to help others here.  We are looking for grateful believers who just want to serve Him through meal preparation, childcare, worship band, audio/visual, setup/tear down, prayer, etc.  For more information, fill out the CR form on the Timberlake website.

Pray: God, today I choose to see You and the life You've given me through the lens of a grateful heart. You have blessed me in the middle of my struggles and successes... and I come to You to simply say, thank you! Amen.