Choosing Gratitude – Chapter 2 – Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude

I just started a new book called “Choosing Gratitude – Your Journey to Joy”.  It is by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, the same author that wrote “Choosing Forgiveness” the study I did last year.  I am excited to see what God is going to teach me through this study… as I move on from just forgiving to learning to be grateful.  Like I did with “Choosing Forgiveness” I am going to share some of my favorite quotes (in red) and what God is teaching me through them.  

The sins of the past week- perhaps even the past few hours- parade into our thoughts.  Things that seemed so justified, so compelling, so valid to us at the time now seem in this holy setting absolutely ridiculous.  Shameful.  “Why did we choose to act that way?  How could we not have seen how foolish we were being?  What were we thinking? 

But at some point in this process of repentance, when the weight of our fallenness becomes more than we can bear, hope reawakens in our soul.  We are not impossibly saddled to these sins forever. In fact, they have already been forgiven.

** After looking upon our sinfulness… upon my own sinfulness… how could I not stop and give thanks to God.  I don’t deserve his forgiveness and yet He still offers it to me.  Lord, when I stop to evaluate my own life… I know that I am a sinner.  I know I have messed up time and time again. I know that I don’t deserve your grace and forgiveness. 

These three words- “guilt,” “grace,” and “gratitude”- are at the heart of the gospel.  In a sense, they tell the story of the whole Bible. 

We are born in a state of inescapable guilt, lawbreakers, under the just condemnation of a Holy God, attempting (but unable) through human efforts to make ourselves worthy and acceptable to God, good enough to earn His favor.

Into this hopeless situation comes the undeserved grace of God through Jesus Christ. 

No longer dependent on our good works and performance, with the destination of our souls secured for all eternity, you’d expect that the energy of sheer gratitude, if nothing else, would propel us to never-ending acts of worship and service, “Whatever you want, Lord.  It’s the least I can do after all You’ve done for me.”

** We our born into a sinful state… filled with guilt.  Jesus offers us undeserved grace… the only natural response it to have a heart full of gratitude. 

Is the gratitude that flows out of your life as abounding as the grace that has flowed into your life?

** Wow, Lord, how often do I receive your grace without responding with gratitude..?  Open my eyes to all the blessings that you have poured into my life… and help me to develop a heart that responds with gratefulness. 

Christian Gratitude involves:

* Recognizing the many benefits we’ve received from God and others (including those blessings that may come disguised as problems and difficulties). 

* Acknowledging God as the ultimate Giver of every good gift. 

* Expressing appreciation to Him (and others) for those gifts. 

It is only by recognizing that our blessings have one single source- a real, personal, living and loving Giver- that gratitude beings its transformation into authentic, Christian gratitude. 

** Anyone can give thanks… but it is important to recognize who we are giving thanks to.  Do I possess Christian gratitude?  Do I recognize that every good thing I have is from God?  Am I able to thank Him even for the difficulties in life?

Grace begets giving –

Giving begets gratitude –

When we give out of gratitude to God, we cause gratitude to well up in others’ hearts. 

As a result gratitude begets even more gratitude –

What has come down to us vertically has evoked heartfelt gratitude back to God. And out of His fullness, we have been inspired to shower gifts of grace horizontally in all directions, which in turn motivates even more thanksgiving to return vertically to God from other sources, thanks to what we’ve done (or more precisely, what God has done through us). 

** Lord, how often do I respond to your grace with giving to others..?  You have blessed me with so much.  I can either be greedy and hold onto everything for myself or I can respond with generosity and share it with others… who would in return have a grateful heart towards you.  It is a never ending cycle that starts with me responding to your grace with a giving heart. 

But even greater than seeing pantries stocked and closets supplied, is the joy of seeing relationships built, hearts knit together and God glorified through His people in the process- all because men and women who could easily choose hoarding and complaining but instead choose giving and gratitude. 

** Lord, what relationships would you have me work on?  I don’t want my life to be filled with hoarding and complaining… help me to choose giving and gratitude.  Help me to glorify you in all that I do. 

Try laying this same kind of spirit alongside situations in your own life, reaching out to the other people you know and care about, encountering hurting places within your own church or extended family.  Just think how many rifts and breaches could be mended, how many relationships restored and strengthened, if our gratitude for God’s grace eclipsed our bitterness and overcame those relational barriers.

Imagine the impact in a world characterized by isolation, selfishness, and fractured relationships, if we were to adorn the gospel we profess to believe, with a culture of mutual care, concern, generosity and sacrifice.

** Lord, I don’t know how to restore the broken relationships in my life… but I do desire to see it happen.  I desire for my bitterness to be overcome by your Grace… and for the relationships that have been destroyed to be renewed for your Glory.  Show me ways in which I am allowing my own hurts to isolate me… my own selfishness to consume me… and relationships to be destroyed.  Show me if there is a way that I can love others in such a way that they would experience Your love. 

For now, I lift of Shane to you… I desire for him to know how much I do love him.  I don’t know if he is ready to receive that love but I pray that you would open the doors and bring about reconciliation… for your Glory and in your timing.  If there is anything I can do now… help me to walk in obedience… be at work in his heart and prepare him for a time of healing and reconciliation.  I know that it is only through your grace and forgiveness that this will ever come about.