Living a life of gratitude

As I approached my birthday, I’m reflecting on my year and wondering what this my new year will bring.

There are challenges ahead of me but also great moments of joy that’s just around the corner.

In my time of reflection, I realise I have ALOT to be grateful for. If we took some time today, just 5 minutes, we would also realise the many blessings we take for granted. In fact, many of us need to be reminded of some of the prayers we’ve prayed that God has answered. Many of us are living in the prayers that we’ve believed God for.

Its in the moments of reflection where we experience but for a moment a feeling of gratitude for theses blessings and answered prayers. But these fleeting moments are not enough; we must have a posture of gratitude where we move from feelings to action.

But how do we move from feelings to action? Is it easier said than done? 1 Thess 5:16-18:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This scripture has given us the blueprint on what it looks like to live in gratitude to God for it is truly His will for us everyday:

1. Rejoice always: reflect on your blessings and the answered prayers you are currently living and find moments to thank God for your present.

   
   

2. Make prayer a priority every moment of everyday. Pray every everywhere about everything while at work, on your way home etc. Ask God to show you your life from His perspective.

3. Give thanks. Make it part of your prayer and everyday speech. Thank God for all things good or bad.

It is so important to have habits of gratitude as it can be the difference between complaining and grieving the heart of God.

It's easy to grieve Gods heart like the children of Isreal. They did not have a heart of gratitude after all the Lord did for them in Egypt and protected and provided for them in the wilderness. Eventually their lack of gratitude which also led to their disobedience caused them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years and they died before entering the promise land. Let us not follow their example but start today by living in gratitude unto God and His many blessings.

Let us be a people who recognises the hand of God in everything and in so doing it leads us to a heart and a life of gratitude unto Him.