I am reading a 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.
If
you can’t be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you
escape. It is simply true that the
person who has chosen to make gratitude his or her mind-set and lifestyle can
view anything - anything! - through the eyes of thankfulness.
** Lord, I so desire for gratitude to be my mindset. I want to be able to see everything through
the eyes of thankfulness. To find ways
to thank you in all circumstances instead of complain or worry.
But
in the ongoing struggle of daily life- out there where feelings of disappointment
and entitlement can easily talk louder than our best intentions-why choose
gratitude over ingratitude. Here are
eight good reasons.
1) Gratitude is a matter of obedience –
The “attitude of gratitude” is a clear command and expectation of God. “Whatever
you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through Him” Col 3:17
** We should be grateful people… if nothing more than out of
obedience to God… though I always find that God’s commands to us are not to
torture us but to protect or bless us in some way. Anything He commands us to do He will also
give us the ability to do it.
2) Gratitude draws us close – Do you
sometimes long for a greater sense of God’s nearness> When pressures intensify, when nighttime
worries magnify in strength, when the days are simply piling up one after
another, or when life simply feels dull and routine, do you crave the assurance
of His presence? God lives in the place
of praise. Thanksgiving ushers us into
the very presence of God.
** Yes, there are many times that I desire to feel God’s
presence. I never before thought about the fact that thanksgiving could
actually draw us into His presence. As
we thank Him our focus changes from our problems to His presence…
3) Gratitude is a sure path to peace – If
we were sitting across the table right now you could tell me what’s stealing
your peace right now without having to think hard. To put it simply: In every situation… Prayer
+ Thanksgiving = Peace. Are you facing
one or more chaotic, unsettled situations?
Is your soul weary from striving, stress, and strain? There is peace- God’s peace- waiting for you
just beyond the doors of deliberate gratitude.
** I could easily name the different areas that are stealing my
peace… but I don’t have to live like that.
Yes, I am weary from all the trials but I don’t have to live like
that. Lord, I want your peace… if
gratitude is what it takes help me to have a thankful heart every day.
4) Gratitude is a gauge of the heart –
And when you catch yourself being grateful to God for his obvious and even His
more subtle (or hard to understand) forms of blessings, it’s an indication that
your heart is being drawn to His, and that you believe He is good, faithful,
and can be trusted. The grateful heart
that springs forth in joy is not acquired in a moment; it is the fruit of a
thousand choices. It is a godly habit
and pattern that over times becomes a new muscle in our spiritual makeup. And though like every other sanctified
character trait, it does nothing to make us more loved and accepted by God,
gratitude does become a reliable measure for where our hearts are with Him.
** Lord, help me to develop this muscle of gratitude…. Every day
I want to spend time building it up… being thankful for the big and small
things you provide me with. I have the
choice constantly to be grateful or to be bitter… to see the good in things or
to complain. Lord, help me choose
gratefulness.
5) Gratitude is the will of God –
When you go to scripture for insight on
the will of God, you don’t find a lot about things to do, places to go, or
people to meet. That’s because God’s
will is not so much a place, a job, or a specific mate, as it is a heart and
lifestyle. A decision that’s huge today
usually shrinks in hindsight, replaced by yet another batch of options that fit
whatever stage of life we’re currently in.
** Lord, I once heard that your will is more about who we are
than anything else… we often seek you for help on making a decision but as long
as we are living as godly people than you have already provided us with the
wisdom to make decisions… my desire is to draw closer to you, to be thankful,
and to be transformed into the image of Jesus each day.
6) Gratitude is an evidence of being
filled with the Spirit – No more can we believe that a person who habitually
gripes, murmurs, and worries about his pressures and problems, rather than “give
thanks always and for everything,” is filled with the Spirit! The fact is, we
cannot whine and complain and be filled with the Spirit at the same time.
** Lord, open my eyes to the times that I am complaining and
whining or worrying instead of trusting in You.
I so desire to be filled with your Spirit and to live each day in Your
presence.
7) Gratitude reflects Jesus’ heart – It’s
not hard to thank Go after He answers our prayers and we’ve seen the desired
outcome. The test of faith and surrender
to the will of God is the ability to express thanks before we know how He will
respond. Jesus response “Yes, Father, I
willingly surrender Myself to Your calling for My life, whatever the cost.” He gave Himself to God and to the world, not
under coercion, but with abandon… with gratitude, grateful for the privilege of
obeying His Father and of fulfilling the mission He had been sent to earth to
complete.
** How often do I respond like Jesus did? Willing to give thanks before I know what God’s
answer is going to be… knowing that God is good and has a perfect plan for my
life. How often am I willing to do
whatever He asks of me… with a heart that is joyful and grateful that I can be
used by God?
8) Gratitude gets us ready for heaven –
Think of today as a “dress rehearsal.”
And do it just the way you will when you’re doing it “live” at the
actual performance.
** Lord, thank you that we can join in with the angels praising
you even today. May my praises lift up
to you… may thankfulness overflow from my heart.
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