Over a hundred years ago, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, an American poet (born in Wisconsin) penned one of America’s best remembered poems. It contains the lines:
“One ship drives east
And another drives west
With the selfsame winds that blow.
Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
Which tells us the way to go.”
This poem presents an interesting metaphor for life—a sailing ship. Such a vessel employs the use of sails to catch the wind and propel the boat toward its desired destination. The sails cannot control the wind—they can only harness its power. It is said that a skilled sailor, by the mere set of the sail, can direct the ship where he chooses even when the wind is contrary—blowing in the absolute opposite direction.
Here’s the thing: there is a mindset—an outlook, a perspective—that we can employ to help us navigate, as God directs, through the storms of life. It’s the set of our sail. We cannot control every opposing force of the enemy or the contrary winds of negative circumstances. Those “selfsame winds” blow against everyone—and cause some to go completely off course. But we can respond to life’s difficulties in a positive way simply by the “set of our sail.” We talked about it last week—it’s the mindset of GRATITUDE.
Not every hardship is an attack of Satan—sometimes it’s just LIFE. But the enemy is cunning. He knows that ANY difficulty has the potential to cause us to capsize and founder in life’s sea, “… tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:14 ESV) However, by setting our sail with GRATITUDE, we can harness the power of the gale that was meant for evil against us—and turn it around for GOOD.
GRATITUDE allows us to rest assured that:
- Though our situation turns bad, the LORD is GOOD!
- Though we fall, His faithfulness never ceases and His mercy endures forever!
- Though “truth” seems hard to find, His WORD never changes!
- Though life gets impossibly hard, we can always go running to the Throne!
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed [fixed] on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)
We’ve already discussed the nuance between gratefulness and thankfulness. (see the previous post “More than Thankful”). Thankfulness is a positive emotional response to someTHING that pleases or benefits us. We are taught that being thankful is evidence of good manners, even if our expression of thanks is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to something we like.
Gratitude, however, is a deeper state of being that points to SomeONE—to offer continual thanks for His constant care and benevolent kindness. For example, one can be thankful for good weather, but one cannot thank the weather. We can only be thankful to the SOURCE of the weather—and that is gratitude. In fact, there are things in life that we may not be thankful for, per se—but, in consideration of the BIGGER picture, we are grateful for them.
Gratitude provides a way of navigating through life, staying even-keeled and afloat—no matter which way the wind is blowing. It’s not an emotion or reflex response to a situation, but rather a deliberate mind preset. It’s a choice to view ourselves, our circumstances, and the world through what has been called “gratitude’s lens of acceptance, compassion, curiosity, and non-judgment.”
Let’s look at it another way—thanks are what we give, but GRATITUDE identifies what we ARE. It’s in our grain, our timber. If we are a true believer, we don’t have to rummage through the clutter in our soul to find some thanks to give. Gratitude is embedded in our soul and anchored in our faith. The ungodly are, in fact, identified by their lack of it … “because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were [eucharisteō—grateful] but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21 KJV)
Paul also warned Timothy about this: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, [ungrateful,] unholy … lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 KJV)
One can only regard GOD as the “I AM” if they know Him. To KNOW Him is to remember His words, His works, and His ways—His manifest goodness. If one doesn’t remember God’s goodness, they don’t have FAITH—and without faith, they cannot truly possess GRATITUDE. Both faith and gratitude are products of our REMEMBRANCE. The just person inhales and exhales their gratitude for God’s past and present goodness as they walk by faith. It’s their hallmark. It’s what they’re known for—what they ARE.
It’s the perpetual “set of their sail.”
Prayer: Dear Jesus, allow me to set my sail everyday with an attitude of gratitude. This—with my keel driven deeply into Your WORD—will allow me to remain steady, even, and on course. With Your help and in Your NAME, I’ve set my sail for HOME. Amen.
