Cultivating Gratitude
Lessons from the Road of Faith with Apollo LTD
The mosaic of a believer’s life is often pieced together with moments of stark contrasts—high peaks of joy and deep valleys of suffering. It is in the delicate balance between these highs and lows that our faith is both tested and strengthened.
In a conversation with Family Life Radio, Adam Stark and Jordan Phillips of Apollo LTD shared vivid illustrations of how they choose to cultivate gratitude, offering both comfort and guidance to fellow travelers on the road of faith.
Embrace Perspective
“Cultivating gratitude for me is completely a matter of perspective,” Adam says. “Some of my more obvious [experiences] would be doing mission work. My wife and I have gone for mission work in Haiti, and we’ve done the work in Kenya, sponsoring kids.”
Adam’s reflections on his mission work in Haiti and Kenya serve as a poignant reminder of the power of perspective. As followers of Christ, we are called to step outside our own experiences and consider the broader tapestry of life. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4, NIV).
“We’ve seen some of the hardships that people go through on a daily basis,” Adam continues, “right now, in a world where we have technology at our fingertips, they have to carry a five-gallon bucket three miles to a well for their water supply for the day.”
“When you have that perspective, I really think it helps you access a spirit of gratitude to know that we are really blessed.”
Such an encounter with the stark realities of needs around the world opens our eyes and moves our hearts toward gratitude. It’s a sobering yet enriching shift in perspective that reminds us of our blessings and the profound grace we stand under.
Choose Contentment
Jordan says, “We’ve gone through seasons of plenty, but we’ve also gone through seasons of the drought. We’ve gone through trials and hardship in our family and in my life and coming out of the other end of those things knowing that Jesus isn’t just with us in the good times, but He’s also with us in the suffering that he’s also with us in the challenging times.”
For Jordan, the journey through seasons of plenty and want has carved out a deeper understanding of contentment. His perspective echo the Apostle Paul’s words, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation… I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV).
Jordan shares, “That’s what all this is about – His grace and His mercy is with us even when we don’t feel it, even when we’re at our darkest moments.”
Our contentment isn’t tied to the ebb and flow of life’s circumstances but is anchored in the One who remains constant through it all.
Practice Thanksgiving
Our gratitude is a posture, a daily decision to acknowledge God’s goodness. Whether we are basking in the warmth of the sun or weathering a storm, there is always room for gratitude. Perhaps we can begin by simply noting the blessings of each day, however small and vocalizing our thankfulness to God and to those around us.
Adam and Jordan’s stories remind us that the cultivation of gratitude is to embrace our continual growth, and to give thanks always.
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