Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This will be given Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023.  

When we see someone who is successful and admired — full of good qualities and good works — we might assume that he or she is always confident and never overwhelmed. Meanwhile, painfully aware of our own weaknesses, we might doubt our ability to live up to life’s challenges.

But if we could see inside each other’s hearts, we would know that everyone faces moments of self-doubt, even the accomplished among us. One man who had done a lot of good in his life and had overcome many challenges still struggled with feelings of inadequacy. For a time, he focused on his faults and weaknesses and wondered if he was a failure.

How did he overcome such feelings? He looked for the hand of God in his life. He remembered how the Lord had been there for him through the difficult times, and he was filled with gratitude for the blessings he had received. This didn’t mean that all his trials went away. But now he knew he could face them, just as he always had — by putting his trust in God and believing that, eventually, everything would be all right (see 2 Nephi 4:16-35).

Gratitude has that effect on us. It can change our perspective. It quiets the frantic mind and brings us back to our true self, helping us reconnect with our basic goodness and innate personal power (see “Coming Back to Life,” by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown, 2014, p. 67). Most important, it connects us with God, the giver of “every good gift” (see James 1:17). The truth is that all of us are, by ourselves, inadequate. But we are not by ourselves. God offers His strength, helping us see that our lives really are filled with many good things, even when we’re in the middle of something difficult.

Scripture teaches us, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God” (Alma 37:37).

If we start and end each day in gratitude, we can find peace during the good and the hard times. By reflecting on our blessings and trusting the giver of those blessings, we can feel joy and a renewed desire to move forward — in gratitude.

Tuning in …

The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143),  tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.