Accomplishment
What are your accomplishments?
Verse of the Day
“Let all that I am praise the Lord ; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”
“Lord , you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you.”
Today’s Devotional
Think about an accomplishment in your life that you are really proud of. I’ll wait.
Do you have it in your mind? I have mine. I thought of a couple of things.
How does your accomplishment have anything to do with gratitude?
Everything you accomplish is really from God. Look at today’s verses. One of the “good things” that God does for you is give you skills and abilities. And according to Isaiah, “all we have accomplished is really from” God.
Today’s first gratitude challenge is to thank God for the things you have been able to accomplish in your life. I want each of us to dig deep and think about the skills, talents, and abilities that were required to accomplish those things and thank God for each one of those gifts.
Let’s look at an example. Let’s say someone is really proud of getting a college degree. That takes dedication and hard work. So how does this person turn that accomplishment into gratitude?
- He could be grateful to be born in a country that provides elementary school, middle school, and high school.
- He could be grateful for all of the teachers along the way that helped him.
- He could be grateful for his ability to read and write.
- He could be grateful for any and all forms of technology that helped with assignments. That could be that he owns a computer and he is grateful for the provision to buy that resource. Or he is grateful for his school’s computer lab that allowed him to use a computer when he could not afford to buy his own.
- He could be grateful for his exposure to and interest in a particular field of study.
- He could be grateful for any God given aptitude in certain fields.
- He could be grateful that God helped him to complete assignments.
- He could be grateful for any friends along the way who encouraged him during difficult times.
- He could be grateful for times of refreshing, fun, and diversion during summers and between semesters that allowed him to be ready for the next round of schooling.
- He could be grateful for any financial resources that allowed him to attend an institution of higher education.
Do you get the picture? This person did the work to earn his college degree, but there is so much to be grateful for in the midst of that accomplishment.
One of the scientific studies I read showed a significant increase in well-being in people who were willing and able to see the collaborative aspect of life. That means that everything we do involves other people, whether it’s overt or not. If you go to a football game and have a great time, do you think about the grounds crew, the janitors, the people working concessions, the athletes, the referees, the band/musicians, the technology that powers the score board, the announcers, the half time entertainment, the parking attendants, and the other fans? It’s a collaboration. It takes effort and attention to notice that. It’s a choice to notice all of these people and then thank God for them. If we make that a practice, research shows that we will have a better experience of our life.
Gratitude is a habit we must cultivate. And all of the research shows that it’s worth the effort.
Today’s Second Gratitude Challenge: How are you grateful for your ability to learn? Proverbs 1:5 says, ‘let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance’. Learning new skills and ideas can be frustrating, but it can also make you feel alive. We are learning to sail, and sometimes it make me feel very incapable. But I am also invigorated by the process of learning something new. The ability to learn anything comes from God. Are you grateful for that?
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Write down at least one accomplishment in your life that you are proud of.
Now break that down. How many different things/skills/people can you think of to thank God for in the achievement of that accomplishment.
If you can thank an actual human for any of those things, make it a point to call, email, or text those people today as a way to actively express gratitude.
How, specifically, are you grateful for your ability to learn?