The Sure Wisdom Found in Unfiltered Gratitude

The Sure Wisdom Found in Unfiltered Gratitude

Posted on by Michele Morin

The word on the street1 is that, of the twelve tracks on Taylor Swift’s newest album, only four will emerge unfiltered on the other side of Spotify’s parental controls designed to block explicit content. Having raised my four sons in the prehistoric era of dial-up internet in a remote outpost far from the nearest smoke signals, I was encouraged to discover that such arrangements can be made.

Filters are generally thought to block out the unwanted: inappropriate content in our children’s ears, sediment in our water pipes, food debris in our dishwashers, coffee grounds in our favorite mug. In November, I’m challenging myself to stop filtering my gratitude to God through the grid of what I expected.

Through the act of offering up thanksgiving, we deliberately acknowledge our dependence on God and his good intentions toward us. Paul, the apostle, wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 ESV)

And if God answers our prayers in ways that seem incomprehensible or if he ordains a season of suffering for someone we love, we deliberately acknowledge that God is not against us and surrender our resentment—even in the darkness of unknowing. We do not yet understand the lesson, but gratitude opens the heart and mind to be taught.

Gratitude opens the heart and mind to be taught.

The wisdom of unfiltered gratitude prays:
“Lord, I see what has been given, and it’s not what I asked for. Help me to embrace a holy curiosity that wonders what you are up to while still holding on to the promise of your goodness. Thank you for being for me and not against me. Teach me the wisdom of receiving what you give, of relinquishing what you take, and living in unfiltered gratitude even for the things I do not understand. Amen.”

Thanksgiving may seem like a weight too great to bear in seasons of discouragement, loneliness, or illness. It may seem like too great a sacrifice to release resentment and to receive with an open hand the circumstances of this particular November.

God stands ready to receive your sacrifice.

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me” (Psalm 50:23).

Holding You in the Light,

You can see all my Get Wisdom posts for 2025 here!

Thanksgiving may seem like a weight too great to bear in seasons of discouragement. It may seem too great a sacrifice to receive with an open hand the circumstances of this particular November. God stands ready to receive your sacrifice

Prepare for Thanksgiving with this New YouVersion Devotional!

I’ve got a new devotional plan ready for you on the YouVersion app just in time for Thanksgiving. Click HERE to start this five-day plan. I pray it will prepare your heart for this glorious season of gratitude. (There’s a good reason why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!)

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  1. The Popcast, Episode 631, October 30, 2025 ↩︎
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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

29 thoughts on “The Sure Wisdom Found in Unfiltered Gratitude”

  1. I often realize much later on like a lightbulb going off that ‘Oh! that’s why God answered my prayer in that way.” Much better idea. 🙂 As it says I guess I filter my prayers with only how I see the alternative.

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  3. I’ve often been intrigued by the biblical phrase “the sacrifice of praise.” There’s so much we don’t understand about what is withheld or allowed in this life. But the better we know Him, His goodness, and His love, the more we can trust His purposes when life doesn’t make sense.

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    1. Exactly.
      I’ve been intrigued by that phrase as well, and it reminds me of his Old Testament words about not desiring the blood of bulls and goats. He’s always after our hearts.

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  5. I’m seeing and learning such a connection between gratitude and trust, and from there to generosity. If I trust that God is good and that his plan for me is best, it’s easier to be grateful for whatever those blessings and lessons look like. And when living out of gratitude, and trusting God to provide, it’s also easier to share what I have. I love how so many of these lessons and thoughts from different sources are all coming together today – I guess God really wants me to “get it”!

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  6. There is so much I don’t understand. But this one thing I know … I want to trust Him even when I do not understand, even when it is hard. For He truly knows what is best.

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  7. “I’m challenging myself to stop filtering my gratitude to God through the grid of what I expected” – Those expectations can be tripping stones, can’t they. I’m learning to live in a my-expectation-free zone and allow myself to live in expectation of what He’s going to do – I’m building soul-muscle memory for that – some minutes I’m better at it than others. Those challenges come knocking at my door, trying to knock the wind out of me – and they might for a good few minutes – even hours. I’m learning. God took my greatest heart-ache and showed me how it was my greatest blessing – not what I expected. It doesn’t mean the heart-ache doesn’t surface still – I just know how to better praise and thank Him when it hits – that sends that heart-ache away from my soul-door!

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    1. There’s so much wisdom here. I think it comes down to asking ourselves where our hope lies. If my hope is placed on God’s acting in a certain way, permitting some blessing that I’ve come to expect, I’m on shaky ground. Our hope is in his character.

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  8. A wonderful invitation to “stop filtering our gratitude” towards God, Michele. I haven’t pondered this thought before, so I appreciate it.

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    1. God’s sovereignty has been front and center for me over the past several years. He often acts in ways that are completely mysterious to me, and (believe it or not!), he doesn’t feel compelled to explain himself. It’s very freeing to let go of my need for an explanation and to acknowledge that he is God. And I am not.

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  10. That’s a wise course, for sure–unfiltered gratitude–even for the things we don’t understand. We can thank him for his wisdom, as he chose such circumstances according to what he deemed best. Especially appreciated the wisdom expressed in your prayer at the end, Michele.

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  11. “I’m challenging myself to stop filtering my gratitude to God through the grid of what I expected.” Ahhh … expectations … they get me every time! Things never look like I expected.

    But, I’m excited for Ephesians 3:20 that tells me God is powerful enough to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. In other words, He goes beyond what I might expect.

    And that’s a good thing.

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  12. This is profound, Michele: “I’m challenging myself to stop filtering my gratitude to God through the grid of what I expected.” If God is for us, who can be against us? Such a good truth to remember.

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  13. It appears God has been speaking to the both of us in similar areas Michele on prayer, gratitude & giving thanks which I just posted.

    Visiting from Lisa’s WOTY linky today where we’re sitting together.

    Blessings, Jennifer

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