Ways to SHOW God Your Gratitude

    How do you SHOW God gratitude and thankfulness for what He has provided to you this day?

    Well, He has blessed you with today, use it to His glory!

• Work joyfully! In whatever you do, “do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23)!
• You are loved by Him, be loving (Ephesians 5:1-2)!
• You are forgiven, be forgiving (Colossians 3:13)!
• You can speak, choose your words wisely (James 3:9-10, Ephesian 4:29)!
• You can see and feel, do what you can to help others (Galatians 6:1-2, 6-10)!
• You live in God’s light, reflect it into the darkness (Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 5:14-16)!
• God shares His abundance with you, be generous to others (2 Corinthians 9:6-11)!
• God cares for you, care for others (1 Peter 5:7, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• God is faithful, TRUST HIM (Psalm 31:14,19, 33:4-5, Hebrews 11:6, 2 Thessalonians 3:3)!
• You have hope, live in hope (Hebrews 6:17-19, 2 Timothy 4:8, 1 Peter 1:3-9)!
• You have freewill, behave like a Christian (Ephesians 5, Romans 12)!

    SHOW God that you appreciate the benefits He daily loads on you (Psalm 68:19) – use all your blessings to bring glory to Him! Behave in such a way that “God is not ashamed to be called [your] God” (Hebrews 11:16)!

    How can you keep a grateful mindset that helps you to FEEL gratitude, discover more and more reasons to SAY 'thank you' to God, and gives you more opportunities to SHOW God that you are full of appreciation for His abundant blessings?

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth…” (Colossians 3:1-2, keep reading the whole chapter, it’s great!!)

From wherever you are right now – BEGIN! 

Learning to SHOW Gratitude

    Over the past several weeks we have been looking at “The Three Thank You's” and how they will help us develop proper gratitude.  First, we should FEEL thankful, second, we should SAY thank you, and third, we should SHOW how thankful we are. 

    We have already studied the first two, so this week let’s consider how to SHOW gratitude toward our heavenly Father.

    When you have planned for the perfect gift, you have made sacrifices in order for the recipient to have it, you have put so much thought into it and worked tirelessly in putting it together and wrapping it. It seems like you’ve been you’ve been looking forward to giving it since forever and when you finally do, the recipient is happy and excited by the gift – it makes your heart overflow! But a few months later you visit them and see your gift still sitting in the box on the floor, gathering dust… now how do you feel?

    We can often do the same to God. We may in the moment of receiving a gift/blessing FEEL thankful and we may even say ‘Thank You’, but do we always SHOW God how grateful we are by using that blessing for His glory?

    Grab a Bible and turn to Ephesians 5; I would like you to think on three points from this chapter that will help us do better in SHOWING gratitude to God.

WALK IN LOVE   (Ephesians 5:1-7)

    God has given us the gift of love. He loved us SO much that He gave us His Son. He continues to show us love through His mercy, grace, help, comfort, and forgiveness. We SHOW appreciation and gratitude for this gift by walking in love, just as Christ did, showing love toward God the Father and all people. We deny self (along with our selfish lusts and desires) and instead imitate
God. SHOW God that you appreciate His love by learning from it how best to love others!

WALK IN LIGHT (Ephesians 5:8-10)

    God has given us the gift of light. We were once in darkness (sin) but now we are “light in the Lord” (v.8, see also 1 Peter 2:9). In His light we see, we can know His way, we can find out what is acceptable to the Lord. How do we show that we appreciate the light He has brought us into? By walking as children of light! We learn, we obey, we grow, and we guide others toward God’s light by reflecting His light in our day-to-day tasks and interactions!

WALK IN WISDOM (Ephesians 5:15-17)

    God gives us the gift of today. How do we show appreciation and gratitude for today? By using it wisely; walking in wisdom. We do that by first understanding what the will of the Lord is (v17) and then asking Him for wisdom, which He gives generously (James 1:5). Walking in wisdom involves being careful of our words and actions (Ephesians 4:29) and looking for opportunities to do good works (see Titus 3:8,14), which keeps us walking in love and as children of light!

    Are you ready to SHOW God how much you appreciate His gifts and blessings? USE THEM!! See their amazing value by using them as God desires! Show gratitude today by imitating Him in love, basking in and reflecting His light, and being wise and careful in all that you do so as not to hinder His light and love!

From wherever you are right now – BEGIN! 

You can do it! So can I!!

Gratitude For God's Blessings

Last week we looked at words that we can use to describe the goodness and majesty of God, this week I would like to begin a list of the things we can be thankful for, so that our eyes are opened to the benefits God gives us daily (Psalm 68:19):

• His lovingkindness (Psalm 92:1-2, Ephesians 2:1-10)
• His faithfulness (Psalm 89:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 3:3)
• His enduring mercy (Psalm 107:1)
• His goodness (Psalm 135:3)
• His generosity that allows us to be generous (2 Corinthians 9:6-11, 1 Timothy 6:17-19)
• For hearing our prayers (Psalm 116:1-2, Psalm 34, 1 John 1:9)

Side Thought: Consider the joy of Abraham’s servant, who, as soon as he realized it, proclaimed God’s goodness in answering his prayer (Genesis 24:12-27, 48). Do you stop and thank God when you realize the same?

• Hope in heaven (Hebrews 6:17-20, 1 Peter 1:3-9)
• Salvation through Christ (John 3:16-17, Romans 5:6-11)
• Protection from the devil (Ephesians 6:16, James 4:7)
• Forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:9)
• Help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16, Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• All God’s wonderful deeds (Psalm 9:1)
• All spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14)
• Senses: ability to see, touch, taste, hear, smell (Psalm 139:14, Proverbs 20:12, Psalm 34:8)
• Life, breath, and all things (Acts 17:25)
• Ability to earn money (Deuteronomy 8:18)
• Abilities/talents/stewardship (1 Peter 4:10-11)
• Family/children (Psalm 127:3)
• Husband (Proverbs 31:11-12, 28)
• Church family (Philippians 1:3-5)
• House/Residence (Isaiah 32:18, Proverbs 3:33)
• Daily provision: Food/Drink/Clothing (Matthew 6:8, 25-34)
• Government/All Men (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

“…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV)

"What if you awoke this morning with only the things you were thankful for yesterday?" Think on that for a moment; it's a good thought to consider and it should motivate us to open our eyes even more to God's wondrous blessings! Let this list - and all that you can add to it - help you to SAY thank you to God, to express your gratitude to Him, for all He has done and continues to do! May our praise and thanksgiving rise up to Him daily as a sweet aroma (Revelation 5:8)!

You can do it! So can I!! 

Learning Gratitude: Words That Describe God

    Have you ever been at a loss for words? Desperately willing your mind to access the file that contains all the best descriptive words in your vocabulary?

    Being left speechless can happen when we are overwhelmed with what we are seeing and/or feeling and I think it goes without saying that the world will be at a complete loss for words when Jesus comes again and we come into God's presence - that will be overwhelmingly overwhelming - but until then we should teach ourselves how to speak to Him, to thank Him, and praise Him.

 

Think on this list of words that describe God:

Alive, Active, Amazing, Almighty, Abundant, Astounding, Absolute, Attentive, Authentic, Awesome, Astonishing, All-Powerful, Able, Alert, Beautiful, Best, Beneficial, Benevolent, Brilliant, Creator, Caring, Compassionate, Comforting, Considerate, Divine, Dignified, Distinguished, Excellent, Everlasting, Extraordinary, Excelling, Essential, Father, Forgiving, Fulfilling, Faultless, Faithful, Forbearing, Flawless, Good, Glorified, Glorious, Generous, Gracious, Genuine, God Most High, God of all comfort, God of peace, Holy, Helpful, Honourable, Incorruptible, Infallible, Important, Impressive, Just, Kind, King, Knowing, Love, Loving, Living, Loyal, Light, Mighty, Master, Mender, Matchless, Merciful, Needed, Noble, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Perfect, Protector, Powerful, Provider, Pure, Proven, Praiseworthy, Righteous, Restorer, Reliable, Real, Remarkable, Revered, Ruling, Ruler, Splendid, Superb, Sacred, Sincere, Shelter, Sheltering, Strong, Superior, Supreme, Sympathetic, Shield, Teacher, Trustworthy, Truthful, True, Upright, Unfailing, Understanding, Unequaled, Victorious, Vigilant, Vindicator, Wholesome, Watchful, Wise, Wonderful, Zealous   

 

"Oh Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise." (Psalm 51:15, ESV)

 

    Go over the list one more time, slowly. Can you use some of these words to express your gratitude to God for what He has done and continues to do in your life?

 

    While these words can help us to declare God's greatness, the most important thing in what you say to God in praise and thanksgiving is that it is sincere and heartfelt. Use words that you understand and simply allow your heart to speak its fullness to our Almighty God!

 

    Magnify God in your heart and mind as you say thank you to Him!

 

You can do it! So can I!!

Learning to Express Gratitude

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” (Psalm 100:4 NKJV)

    We have been learning how to FEEL gratitude for the things we have been blessed with, our next step is to SAY thank you and express gratitude to God for His lovingkindness and provision.

    Through Christ we have been granted the opportunity to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). It makes sense then, that as we proceed to God’s “throne of grace,” that we first “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise”! Jesus taught His disciples (and us) how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13, showing that prayer should begin (and end) with praise, acknowledging God as holy and awesome.

    I mentioned before in older posts that the word "bless" and "blessed" when used in reference to God and His name means "to speak beautiful words about." So, going back to Psalm 100:4, we are to “be thankful to Him, and [speak beautiful words about] His name.” It’s the perfect beginning point!

    Sit down for a moment today and prepare your heart to approach God’s throne. Imagine yourself entering His gates with thanksgiving (think of at least three things you can thank Him for), now imagine yourself continuing into His courts with praise (think of at least three things you can praise Him for), and now as you approach His throne of grace, be thankful to Him, and speak these beautiful words to Him! Let Him know that you know, that you are aware and appreciative of His provision, and that you are happy to be His child!

    God is worthy of ALL praise and ALL thanksgiving!! The blessings we receive from Him always outweigh our troubles! Tell Him today that you are grateful for His generous gifts of love and care!

From wherever you are right now – BEGIN! 

Photo Credit belongs to Chadwick Brewer. Used with Permission.

  

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!!