it’s sometimes quite easy to forget how blessed you are when faced with everyday storms of life. The disciples of Jesus did the same when the storm arose. They became afraid and distracted. The sound of the raging sea took their attention away from Jesus and at that moment, they forgot to acknowledge the blessedness of having the Prince of Peace on same boat!! (Mathew 8:27)
King David happens to be someone I really admire; his life style of praise and gratitude to God is a great inspiration on how you can cultivate a lifestyle of gratitude. He praised God even in times of distress. We have been created to live a life of service and praise to our Creator. Psalm 150:1-6 says “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”. When you praise, you show God how grateful you are for whom He is and all He is to you, you express your love for Him, demonstrating your faith and trusting the Prince of Peace to calm every furious storm in your life. When you live each day in gratitude, fear disappears (Psalm 112:7, Psalm 3:11, Psalm 118:8-9).
A lot of Christians put their trust in worldly treasures. They put their hope on men, family, career, relationships, wealth; perishable things that do not endure forever (Mathew 6:19-20). When these things fail, they begin to think all hope is gone and lose sight of kingdom glory, forgetting God’s promises and His mercies towards them (Mathew 11:28, psalm 103). As a child of God, you have been called for a greater purpose; to be a vessel of honour in the Kingdom of our God, living your life above although you walk on earth, having your sight on things that are, yet unseen. You are here on a divine mission and this greater calling precedes all earthly circumstances (1 Peter 2:9, 1 Corin- 9:25, Gal 2:20). Living a life of gratitude is obeying Gods voice. Obedience to God commands blessings upon the life of a Christian and moves God to fight your battles (Deuteronomy 28:1-13)
On the other hand, not living a life of gratitude means living a life of ingratitude. Like the children of Israel who murmured against the Lord in the wilderness, forgetting all He did for them in the land of Egypt. Their murmurings brought about plagues of disaster and a wandering of 40 years in the wilderness (Numb 21:5-8, Deut. 28: 46-48). Ingratitude creates an opening for the enemy to inflict one’s life with all kinds of afflictions; bear in mind that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking for whom to devour (1 peter 5:8). But when you are grateful and testify to the goodness of God, the devil is defeated (Rev 12:11).
WAYS TO LIVE EACH DAY IN GRATITUDE
- Love the Lord with your whole heart, in every given situation (Daniel 3:16-18, Eph- 5:1-2).
- Believe by faith that in every situation, all things are working together for your good (Romans 8:28).
- Give thanks and Praise in all things (Colossians 1:12-13, 1 Thess 5:18).
- Demonstrate your gratitude in willingly and joyfully rendering your offerings and paying your tithes (2 Corinth 9:6-7, 1 Chronicles 29:13-14, Malachi 3:10). God visited King Solomon the night after he had given a joyful and bountiful offering and the Lord blessed him abundantly in both wisdom, understanding and wealth above all the kings of the earth (2 Chronicles 1:12).
- Be kind to others (Mathew 25:35-40).
- Engage in the service of God with joy and gladness of heart (romans 12:5-13,- Mathew 24:44-47) It could be in your local church, your community, at work, as well as your everyday life. The lord is calling you today, He wants to partner with you, He desires to make you a pillar in His holy temple, He requires your service today!
Imagine going to your favourite grocery shop to do some groceries, only to be approached by grumpy sales people. I’m quite positive no one enjoys the services of grumpy service people. It is the desire of our Heavenly Father that we live a life of gratitude, rejoicing in the fullness of his glory. Most Parents recognize the significance of gratitude by teaching their children to say, “thank you”. An adage in my culture says, “when a great man is praised for his acts of kindness, he does even greater things”. The Lord knows and cares about all that concerns you (Deuteronomy 2:7). He has prepared wonderful things for you and He thinks about you every second of the day. Even as you rejoice in the Lord, He shall always direct your Path(1 Corinth 2:9, Proverbs 3:5). Hallelujah!
WordCosmos 