The Benefits of Being Grateful

    We are learning the importance of teaching ourselves to FEEL grateful. God grants us such abundance each day and He simply wants us to acknowledge His generosity and receive it with gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise.

    If you are still struggling with feeling grateful, I would like you to consider these seven points that I have adapted from an online article (by Debbie McDaniel, Fresh Day Ahead), and I have also added verses for each point.

THE POWER OF A GRATEFUL HEART - SEVEN THINGS IT CAN DO:

It gets our eyes off ourselves, and helps us to focus on God (Galatians 2:20, Luke 9:23)

It reminds us we’re not in control, but we serve a Mighty God who is. It keeps us in a place of humility and dependency on Him, as we recognize how much we need Him (Psalm 16:8; 113:1-9; 121:1-2; 147:4-5, Ephesians 2:1-10, 1 Peter 5:6) 

It takes our attention off of our problems and helps us, instead, to reflect on and remember the goodness of His many blessings; it helps us to recognize we have so much to be thankful for (Psalm 68:19, Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 Peter 5:7) 

It reminds us that God is the Giver of all good gifts. We are never intended to be fully self-sufficient in this life. [Even Solomon in all his glory, with all his wealth, still desperately needed God!] A grateful heart reminds us that ultimately God is our Provider, that all blessings and gifts are graciously given to us by His hand (Acts 17:25, Matthew 6:8, 11, 25-34; 7:7-11) 

A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining; for it is impossible to be truly thankful and be filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time (1 Corinthians 10:7-12, Philippians 2:14-15, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) 

It makes the enemy flee.  Our praises and thanksgiving will guard us from darkness (Colossian 4:2, Philippians 4:4-8, 1 Peter 5:8-9)

It allows our spirit to be refreshed and renewed in Him. God loves to give good gifts to His children. He delights  in our thankfulness and blesses those who give honour and gratitude to Him (Isaiah 30:18; 40:28-31, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Philippians 4:6-7, Colossians 2:6-7)

    We, as Christians, get to be called “the children of God”!! He has granted us abundant blesses both physically and spiritually!! We have hope beyond this life if we work at purifying our hearts through gratitude and thanksgiving (1 John 3:1-3)! Heaven is worth every effort!!

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." (Hebrews 12:28 NKJV) 

From wherever you are right now - BEGIN!

Comparison Corrodes Your Gratitude

    How did you do with creating a gratitude list over the past five days?  It’s difficult to start a new habit, isn’t it? But did you follow through? Did you find that when you set your mind to search for things to be thankful for that it didn’t stop, it kept giving you more and more reasons to praise God? Did you find your eyes opening to things in your life for which to be thankful? Did those “discoveries” fill you up? Did they bring you a sense of contentment or even a bubbling over?

    Gratitude is a virtue that keeps on benefitting us.  It helps us prioritize, determining what is really important. It causes our hearts to want to seek God to thank Him and praise Him as He deserves!

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits…” (Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV)

    As we continue to work on developing the FEELING of gratitude, which leads us to SAYING how grateful we are to God for His daily load of benefits (Psalm 68:19), we need to be watchful of the things that come into our minds that prevent our gratitude from developing properly.

    One sneaky thing I have found that will keep you from both feeling and expressing gratitude is COMPARISON.

    Comparing yourself to others and finding THEM lacking, leads to a false and arrogant gratitude (think about the Pharisee’s “gratitude list” in Luke 18:11-12, ‘Thank you that I’m not like THEM!’)

    Comparing yourself to others and finding YOURSELF always lacking can lead to apathy. With dwindling self-esteem, comparison reinforces the lie that you are not yet enough, that maybe you never will be. You determine that you have been “destined” to simply “get by”. Oh, you will need to be happy for others and do what you can to assist others in finding success, but that success is not meant for you. This readily accepted lie imprisons your heart in darkness, far from the sunbeams of gratitude, soon your heart becomes blind to your unique God-given talents and abilities and your abundant daily blessings, which God wants you to use to His glory (consider both Matthew 25:14-30 and Proverbs 23:17-19).  

    Comparison drills away at your well of gratitude, eventually boring a gaping hole that, if not stopped, will drain you completely of any feelings of thankfulness. The scary part is that you may not even be aware of its damage until you really pay attention to your thoughts/words and realize that your continual complaining has corroded your contentment.

How can you stop comparing yourself to others?

Here are few things that I have helped me:

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2 NKJV) 

• Meditate on Ephesians 1:3-14 – think on ALL the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ
• Think on Matthew 6:19-34 – God provides ALL we need (also 2 Corinthians 9:8)
• Ponder long on 1 Timothy 6:6-19 – Godliness with contentment is great gain 

Don't envy the world - read and contemplate Psalm 37 

Recall ALL of God's promises to your mind - they are for you, to aid you! He will follow through on every one of them!! God IS faithful, TRUST HIM!! 

Remember that your unique talents and abilities are needed in the kingdom! You are set in the body and are a necessary part in it, stop comparing yourself to other parts, stop wishing to be another part, simply do YOUR PART (1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and Ephesians 4:14-16)!

“Why compare yourself to others? No one in the entire world 
can do a better job at being you than you!" (Anonymous)

    Keep growing your gratitude list. Be prayerful about the things that you have written there. Focus on your thoughts, are they full of complaint or contentment? Weed out comparison and do what YOU can to use your blessings to be a benefit to others, nothing is too little when done with love (Mark 9:41)!

“As each has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11 NKJV)   

You can do it! So can I!!

Gratitude is the Best Attitude

    Isn’t it crazy that each week we can go from grocery store to grocery store trying to find good food at good prices, lug the bags into the house, put everything away, and then one of our children will wander into the room and say, “I’m hungry.” So we send them to the kitchen and while there, they stare blankly into the fridge, proceed to open every cupboard, and miserably declare to us, “There’s nothing to eat!” As a parent, it is beyond frustrating!

    When it comes to gratitude, or lack thereof, how often have we collapsed into a puddle of misery and declared, “There’s nothing to eat!” The big problem, in this case, is that the “parent” who is providing for us is God - who “daily loads us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19) - and we, when we are blind to those benefits, are saying, “What is there to be thankful for?”

    Can you see now why it is so vital to learn and practice gratitude?

    In order to learn how to FEEL grateful, we need make ourselves aware of what God has done for us, through study and quiet contemplation. Throughout the Bible, especially in the Psalms, mentions of thanksgiving are followed by a recollection of what God has done for His people as well as directly for the person writing (ex: Psalm 72, notice vv10-15). This teaches us that to feel grateful and learn gratitude we need to take inventory of our blessings!

    Beginning today, determine to train yourself to take inventory of your many blessings, acknowledging the difference each has made in your life.

    Spend time today by making a physical list of your “inventory”. Purpose to add to that list each morning (or evening) for the next 6 days.

    Each day re-read your list, meditate on your inventory.

• Do you remember praying for/about the things now in your inventory?
• What if you woke up tomorrow without any one of these blessings? How would you feel?

    Let your appreciation for God and His provision grow as your consider each.

    When you are at work, driving, or doing the dishes, try to recall your inventory and thank God for each blessing.

    I have a feeling that over the next few days your prayers will become easier and possibly longer, as your heart spills over with praise and thanksgiving to God for all the good that He has done and continues to do in your life!!

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

    Please feel free to post a comment, listing some of your blessings; it may help others to recall blessings in their own lives!

    Gratitude is the BEST attitude and it is worth using the time we are blessed with to think on and be thankful for all these things!! 

You can do it! So can I!!

"But God... " Will Raise Us In An Incorruptible Body

    Over the past weeks we have taken a closer look at only a few of the life-changing “But God…” verses found in the New Testament. In these texts we see the dismal downward spiral of man-made circumstances and the escape which God supplies that can change everything for us! The words “but God” glow with His marvelous light, drawing our attention to the path that God has provided to all who seek the Light!

    We have learned:

• We were sinners… but God, with great love for us, gave us His Son to die for us! (Romans 5:8)
• Jesus died for us… but God raised Him from the dead! (Acts 13:30, Romans 1:1-4)
• We were dead in trespasses and sins… but God made us alive together with Christ! (Ephesians 2:1-4)
• The world exalts wisdom, wealth, and power… but God chose lowly things to put these things to shame (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
• We may try to justify our motives to fool others, even ourselves… but God knows our hearts! (Luke 16:15)
• We will face temptation… but God faithfully makes the way of escape so we can overcome it! (1 Corinthians 10:13)

    The final “But God…” verse I would like to study in this series is another transformative verse, it’s completely life-altering!

“But God gives it a body as He pleases… The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption… it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. ” (1 Corinthians 15:38, 42, 44 NKJV)

    Ever since the gospel message was first preached, people have likely wondered how we’ll be raised up and what we’ll look like. It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around the spiritual realm when we are in the physical realm but God, through the apostle Paul, gives us a wonderful analogy to help us understand.

    When you plant a seed, you understand that the seed itself will die, and then from within it comes forth a plant abundant with life. God gives this plant its body (which is different in appearance than the original seed, 1 Corinthians 15:37) and He gives it just as He pleases! Consider for a moment a small black and white sunflower seed in comparison to the gorgeous golden flower that grows from it – God provided that!

    We too, will one day die, and from within us will come forth our spirit, abundant in life, to which God will give a body (different in appearance than our original), a body raised in incorruption, glory, and power – a spiritual body suited for the spiritual realm (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 2 Corinthians 5:1-5)! 

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

    This great and wonderful life-changing transformation will happen to us all and it will be glorious to all who have hope as children of God!!  

    If you have this hope, continue to purify yourself, just as He pure, always looking forward to seeing God and Jesus as they are for all eternity!!  

You can do it! So can I!!