Practicing Gratitude in Recovery

 

Wooden tiles spelling count your blessings, a good guide for Practicing Gratitude in Recovery

Addiction is a problem that is deeply rooted in our desires and cravings. We indulge in porn, alcohol, drugs, and all the rest because our hearts are dissatisfied. We believe that we are missing out. That we are deprived in some way. The longings in our hearts are not satisfied, we want more. We want something to fill the void.

Filling that hole in our soul is no simple task, and we have learned through hard experience that indulging in the addiction only serves to make those longings and craving worse. But one of the ways that we can learn to be satisfied and content is by practicing gratitude.

Over the last few weeks, we have been looking at different tools that we can use to help us find sobriety and serenity. While gratitude is certainly one of the more powerful tools, in some ways it is less of a tool and more of a spiritual or mindset shift. It is a different way of approaching life and the world.

In the thick of the addiction, we are always looking at what we lack, focusing on the missing pieces in our life. With gratitude we shift our focus to those things that we have, on the abundance we enjoy. We give thanks for all the good things that God has given us. We pay attention to all the blessings God has given us, large and small, and learn to appreciate each one. We remind ourselves throughout the day that there is so much in our lives that we can give thanks for.

This mindset shift begins with a discipline of gratitude. We practice it every day. In our morning or evening prayers we take inventory of the many blessings that we have. We list them and give thanks for each one.

I haven't done this for a while, but I used to keep a list on my phone and every day I would add something for which I am grateful. Every day I would read through the list then add something new, after a year I would start a new list.

I like to focus on both tangible, material things and intangible, spiritual things. We can thank God for who he is, for his goodness, mercy, and grace. We can thank him that he never leaves us or forsakes us. We can thank him for the blood of Christ that cleanses us from sin.

Being in prison means that I am deprived of many things, but there is nothing that can deprive me of my connection with God. No matter what situation I find myself in and how painful and desperate and lonely life may get, I can always thank God for who he is and what he has done. I can always be thankful for what I have and who I am in Jesus Christ.

There are also plenty of tangible things to thank God for, even in prison. I still have shelter, food in my stomach, clothes on my back, and shoes on my feet. I have good friends and family. I have books to read, music on an mp3 player, and fun recreational activities.

If we take the time to think, we will find that we have a great deal that we can thank God for.

The Scriptures emphasize gratitude a great deal:

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High." - Psalm 92:1 

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." - Psalm 100:4-5

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 5:20

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

God wants us to have a happy and flourishing life, and he knows that having a lifestyle of gratitude is part of that. If we learn to practice gratitude every day, we will be amazed to find our peace and joy increasing. We will be more content and satisfied with what the Lord has provided and have peace to know that he will continue to provide for us.

There is always something to complain about and there is always something to be grateful for. Being in prison, I am even more aware of this. I have known people out in the world at former workplaces that had a fairly comfortable lifestyle who complained as if they were living in a concentration camp, and I know people locked up with me who are full of joy and are continually celebrating how blessed they are. I want to focus on those blessings and give everything else up to God in prayer.

At this point I believe I can honestly say that I am grateful even for the addiction and the other hardships and pain I have had to endure during my life. It has caused me to draw closer to the Lord and for my spirituality to deepen. The tranquility and satisfaction I enjoy today is due in part to the anguish I have endured. I have had to learn to deal with the pain and the wounds that have hindered me emotionally and spiritually and find healing and restoration. Addiction has wounded my soul, but by God's grace it has also made it stronger.

It might not seem like it, but it is really possible to give thanks to God always, in every situation, no matter what. As we do, we will find the chains of the addiction becoming lighter, one day at a time.

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