A few days ago, I saw a meme in LinkedIn with some comments by the actor Jakie Chan about gratitude. That quote is shown at right in this post.

It is so easy to be frustrated about what we don’t have. It is also so easy to be jealous of someone who has something that we would like to have. Neither of these responses are healthy, since they only lead to frustration.

One of the hardest lessons that we need to learn is how to respond to the parts of our life that are beyond our control. In some things we have limited control, in others we have zero control.

I am finding that two things help with dealing with this “out of our control” issues.

The first is gratitude, as Jackie Chan points out. The second is forgiveness.

Forgiveness allows me to let go of the hurts that I have incurred and find a way to move forward. I am learning to let those hurts go which prevents them from controlling my thoughts and give me the freedom to think about other things.

I am also finding that gratitude is a path to contentment. When I am most grateful, then I usually find myself relatively content. On this idea I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Philippians:

“. . . for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11–13, NASB 95)

Paul reminds us that true contentment is a work of God in my life. Having gratitude is foundational to allowing God to do this work in us.

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As I write this, I am sitting on my patio on a lovely May morning in a quiet neighborhood. I hear the distant rumble of jet engines from the local airport, but instead of carrying weapons that sow destruction, these jets are carrying people to destinations of their own choosing.

While I am far from rich by American standards, I have luxuries in my life that would be the envy of much, if not most, of the world. The fact that I can sit in peace and have the time and a place to write this post is a blessing for which I should always be grateful, and I chose to be so.

I also have freedom in my life that much of the world would also envy. One only need to talk to those who have emigrated to the United States to get a better understanding of conditions elsewhere.

I have freedom to criticize those in power in my country, I have the freedom to worship God openly and in a manner consistent with my understanding of what God wants. I have the freedom to pursue work that I find rewarding and that I enjoy. There are many other freedoms that could be listed.

This level of freedom is another blessing for which I chose to be grateful.

But I am reminded that these blessings, which ultimately come from God, were purchased by those who have given their lives to protect those freedoms. It is these that we remember on Memorial Day.

Yesterday I overheard a conversation in a shop where a veteran announced that it is inappropriate to say “Happy Memorial Day.” I agree. No-one should be happy about the sacrifices that needed to be made to assure our freedom.

So, I will say, “Have a meaningful Memorial Day.” Let us all be grateful for the freedom we have and pray for those who currently serve in uniform and pray for our leaders as they work to protect our country from those who would seek to destroy it. Let us also pray for the families that have lost loved ones in the service of our country.

In the last few years I have started to verbally thank those in uniform who are actively engaged in protecting us, including military personnel, border patrol, police officers, and firemen. Can I encourage you to do the same?

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I live in the desert in the Southwest United States and I really enjoy the variety of cacti that are on display in the wild areas around me and in my neighborhood.

I especially like the seguaros, those tall, majestic cactus with arms that are the symbol of the American desert. They frequently appear in cartoons and movies. But there are many other varieties of cacti in the wild and in the landscape arrangements of the houses in my neighborhood. Each variety has a beauty that makes it distinct from the others.

But when you examine each one, some have holes in them from birds building nests. Others have parts of them that survived less than ideal conditions or downright abuse. Lack of water, animials, humans, and harsh condtions can cause them damage.

But they survive.

Until recently, when I would see this type of damage I would think it a shame that those conditions would have to be overcome. I would often get frustrated and think that the damage, the scars, on display marred the cactus and made it less than it should be.

But I am realizing that those wounds turned to scars also give each cactus a particular beauty. They have encountered difficulties and overcome them. They continue to grow despite the damage.

Then I think of myself and the people around me. In a fallen world, which is less than we would like it to be, we incur physical and emotional damage as we progress through life.

But we survive.

For the Christian, we rely on the promise of God that somehow each of these hurts, each of the scars, somehow will work out for our good and God’s glory (Romans 8:28). So instead of being embarrassed by the scars, we should instead look at them as a testament to the ability of God to get us through the hard times.

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In the churches of my youth, I was certainly taught the right way to behave. Or, at least, I was taught the right way to behave which was consistent with the leaders’ understanding of the Bible. Those churches were good at producing conformity among the congregants.

This conformity is not a bad thing in itself, but the danger is that the behavior of the people in those circles can be more heavily influenced by what other people think than about what God thinks. In other words, it can produce outward conformity without heart change.

Or, to put it another way, such a system can change behavior without changing desires. When operating in such a system, I can do the right thing for the wrong reason.

In thinking about this, my thoughts were directed to Jesus’ discourse recorded in John 15 where he begins:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:1–4, NASB 95)

In verses 4 through 10 of John 15, Jesus uses the Greek verb meno 10 times. This verb carries the meaning of remain, stay, or reside and a common translation into English is abide. In the very first use of this verb quoted above in verse 4, it is in the form of a command when Jesus said, “abide in me.”

Abiding is not an activity as much as it is a mental state. One does not try harder to abide, one simply abides. It is an exercise in inactivity rather than activity. Sloths are very good at abiding.

I have always been intrigued and encouraged by Psalm 46:10 in which God encourages us to “be still” or “cease striving” and know that He is God. This is not a call to frenzied activity. This is not a call to strategic planning and execution. This is a call to acknowledge and revel in our relationship with God.

In Scripture, God promises to work things out for his glory and our ultimate good. If we can rest in that knowledge, then we are less likely to be overwhelmed by life in a fallen and broken world.

If we rest, abide, remain, stay, and reside in Jesus, and seek his comfort and instruction, then we can move forward in confidence instead of allowing our circumstances to push us to an unhelpful or sinful response.

Think of abiding in Jesus the next time you see a picture of a sloth . . .