Choose Grateful Over Grumpy When Everything Is Chaos

When life (and business) hits crisis mode - ice storms, power outages, broken systems, missed targets - it’s easy to slip into grumpy. You know the drill: stress tightens your shoulders, your patience thins, and every conversation feels heavier. But there’s another way. As Christian entrepreneurs, we get to partner with God and choose grateful - not as denial, but as a leadership strategy that unlocks clarity, creativity, and courage.

This is a simple field note from the messy middle: how to hear God at work, lead your team, and build a Kingdom business… even when everything feels chaotic.

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The Leadership Choice: Grateful or Grumpy

Grumpy is natural. Grateful is supernatural. Grumpy narrows your vision to what’s wrong; grateful widens your vision to Who’s with you and what’s possible. One keeps you reactive; the other makes you resourceful.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing… You prepare a table before me… my cup overflows.” — Psalm 23

Psalm 23 isn’t a platitude; it’s a leadership lens. In chaos, you have a Shepherd (guidance), a table (belonging and supply), and an overflowing cup (more than enough to share). That’s a different operating system than fear.

Gratitude Doesn’t Ignore Reality—It Reframes It

Try this at your desk or with your team:

Two Columns:

• Grumpy (Facts): list the real constraints—missed deadlines, equipment down, budget cuts, cold office, upset customers.
• Grateful (Facts + Opportunities): list what’s still true—talented team, loyal clients, healthy cash reserves, partners willing to help, new ideas sparked by the constraint.

Now ask, “What action could I take from the Grateful side?” Pick one and move. Grateful turns on your brain’s problem-solving center. It shifts your team from panic to progress.

What “My Cup Overflows” Looks Like at Work

In the Middle Eastern picture of hospitality behind Psalm 23, an overflowing cup means you’re safe, wanted, and resourced. Translate that to the workplace:

Safe: People can tell the truth without punishment.

Wanted: Each person knows the value they bring.

Resourced: There’s a path forward—even if it’s imperfect.

Overflow doesn’t always mean abundance of things; it starts as abundance of presence, perspective, and people. In chaos, you likely have more of these than you think.

Practical Ways to Hear God at Work (This Week)

Five-Minute Shepherd Pause (Daily).
Sit still. Breathe. Ask: “Jesus, as my Shepherd, what do You want me to see today? What’s my one next step?” Write what you sense, align it with Scripture, and act on it.

Gratitude Audit with Your Team (15 minutes).
Open your next meeting with: “Name one thing that’s working and one person you appreciate.” Capture answers on a visible board. Watch the atmosphere shift.

Overflow Activation (Today).
Identify one person worse off than you—customer, supplier, neighbor. Do one tangible thing: a call, a warm drink, a referral, a ride, a resource share. Overflow grows when given away.

Rebuild the Table (Weekly).
Host a short “table time”—snacks, quick check-in, wins, prayer. Belonging fuels resilience.

When Everything’s Chaos, Communicate Like This

Acknowledge reality: “Here’s what’s hard.”

Name the Shepherd: “We’re not alone; God is leading us.”

Point to provision: “Here’s what’s still working.”

Assign the next step: “Here’s what we’re doing in the next 24 hours.”

Invite participation: “Here’s how you can help.”

That rhythm builds trust and forward motion. It’s marketplace ministry in everyday clothes.

Questions for Reflection (or Team Discussion)

Where have I defaulted to grumpy? What’s the grateful reframe?

What evidence of God’s Shepherding can I see from the last 30 days?

Who can I serve today from a posture of overflow?

Next Steps

1. If you want to hear God in the midst of crazy, grab a copy of Finding Hope in Crazy Times and walk through the 30 days of practical hope: Amazon.com

2. Subscribe to our weekly insights to get this blog or podcast sent directly to your inbox: https://www.heaveninbusiness.com/newsletters/weekly-insights/subscribe

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