Gratitude is one of those virtues in the Christian world that we so often think of as secondary, optional, or just the cherry on top, but definitely not the meat of the meal.
Throughout my study of Scripture, being in a community of believers, and walking with Jesus, God has revealed more and more to me the transformational power and absolute necessity of gratitude in the life of a follower of Jesus. Gratitude is not just a characteristic, personality trait, or virtue, but it is a way of life and a way of worship.
Nancy DeMoss writes in her book on gratitude, “In an arsenal that is supposed to include things like mountain-moving faith, radical obedience, patient long-suffering, and second-mile self denial, for many, gratitude feels like an optional add-on. Nice if you can get it, but not all that critical…”
My prayer is that over the next four weeks, God will open our eyes and our hearts to how gratitude greatly changes our heart to worship instead of grumble, our eyes to see His ways instead of our own, our minds to be settled with peace that surpasses understanding, and our mouths to rejoice even if our circumstances seem hopeless, mundane, or undesirable.It is through gratitude that God overflows our hearts and lives with His joy.
As I was beginning to look at Hebrew words for gratitude, I came across a phrase for gratitude that is not in the Bible, but it is absolutely the WAY of the WORD.
Hakarat HaTov: “recognizing the good”
This is the Way of gratitude and the Way to gratitude. This is a practice not just part of our personality. This is an action and choice not just something that happens to us. We are to constantly recognize the good of our Good God and all that He is doing in us, around us, with us, and through us.
And so this week, let’s focus on HIM. Declare with a big THANK YOU who God is. Meditate on His goodness. Ask Him to reveal to you all the good in your life that you and I have been blinded to. Blinded by busyness, bitterness, and discontentment. Blinded by exhaustion, comparison, and ingratitude. We have been distracted by desires for more and worries about the future. Replace those with HIM and who HE IS.
He is FAITHFUL. He is ABOUNDING IN LOVE. He is JOY. He is LOVE. He is GOOD.
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation. (Psalm 100)
Join my sisters in Christ and me! I am a part of an amazing small group of women who love Jesus and are committed to knowing Him more and walking in His Way. We were discussing gratitude and decided to take practical action! Let’s set our alarms 3x a day to pray prayers of thanksgiving. Not only will our praises be lifted high to our God, but our hearts and lives will be transformed by this sacred, fruitful practice of gratitude-a vital virtue of God’s people.
Shared in love and gratitude,
Lindsay
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