What if the only thing you had was what you gave God thanks for?
Would a lot of “stuff” disappear just like that? Or would you grow in prosperity because you thank God for the things not yet received?
Charisma Media’s own Marketing Copywriter and Coordinator Abby Trivett shares how the Lord has taught her the significance of having a grateful mindset through her years at Regent University and ending up at Charisma.
“[God] opened the door for me to work with the Editorial team so I could start writing…and get to know this side of the company,” Trivett shares.
“I found myself in a new season that I was able to graduate college, and I’m applying for jobs and I’m looking at stuff saying, ‘OK God, where do you want me to go?’…and my mother gave me some really good advice. She said, ‘Abby don’t just apply for a job, but apply for a job that makes sense.'”
The Lord used Trivett’s submission to His will to lead her to a place that not only is a business and a ministry at the same time, but also has a program to further one’s education with her alma mater.
This trust in the Lord opened Abby’s eyes to a world of thankfulness because God planted her right where she needed to be.
“It really showed me how good God was to close the doors that needed to be closed, and to open the doors that needed to be opened, and to just be grateful for every single moment He prepared for me,” says Trivett.
“It was better than what I planned. I had my own plans but God had a different plan for me.”
As Thanksgiving approaches, the concept of thankfulness is discussed for a few weeks, but for the remainder of the year it seems to be put on the back burner.
“I think gratitude is [a] very understated thing in our society,” Says Trivett. “We live in a culture where we want instant gratification all the time. Every single thing we do—I’m guilty of it too—as soon as you see something on your phone you want to open it right there. But that’s not how we’re supposed to operate. We’re not supposed to operate in that instant gratification.
“We’re supposed to operate in a sense of peace, because you know God’s given us a spirit of peace, and without knowing Him intimately and without seeking His peace, we can easily fall into almost like an anxiety-induced mentality.”
Yet when we give God the thanks and praise He deserves, according to His Word, says Trivett, we allow Him to fix our mindset. Instead of setting our sights on things of this world, we focus on what God wants for our lives, giving us that peace that passes understanding in a world filled with anxiety, anger and depression.
“When we don’t say ‘thank you’ to God for the things He has given us, and we just focus on the things that He hasn’t given us, it changes our walk in a bad way,” Trivett reveals.
“Whereas, if we flip it and say thank You because You have provided me with whatever it is: this job, this car, this friendship, whatever it is, you’re like ‘Wow, God’s given me so many things.'”
Let’s make 2023 the year we start being thankful for the blessings in our lives. Not just during the holidays, but year-round. Each day is a gift from God, filled with victories and struggles, but we can rest in the knowledge that the blood of Christ set us free from the bonds of the devil, and that is something to be thankful for each and every day.
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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
Abby Trivett 
Stephen Strang