GRATITUDE.
I came across a quote a few weeks ago that went something like ….
"Apart from the grace of God we are all but flawed clumps of clay" (paraphrased).
A deep and true understanding of this will naturally inspire gratitude. A beautifully genuine humility springs from the knowledge that you are a bare vessel enriched only by God's grace. Everything lovely, every object of your admiration, every of your most beloved features, every skill and talent, every precious relationship has been afforded by His Grace alone. You don't believe me?
A little exercise, shall we?
Close your eyes and layer by layer, strip off everything that you perceive has been given to you by God. (P.S: If you are doing this right, you are no longer a living thing or anything for that matter). So if there are words that should never leave our mouths, they are "Thank you!"
A little more convincing? Let me walk you through an average day for many of us.
You wake up in the morning to the sound of your alarm. The former is perhaps one of the greatest testimonies in your day already. God is the source of life and by His grace, you get it for today. The latter seems relatively mundane, but is it? You're awoken by the alarm. Surely, God didn't get you that, you bought it from the store!
Well, who taught your hands to make wealth? Who strengthens you for that work that you do to earn the money? Who granted you the favour to get that job? Who provides for your needs according to His riches in glory? Who inspired the inventor?
You climb out of bed. Your legs work. However, basic it seems, that's someone's dream. You stretch a little, maybe do a workout, thanks to a well-functioning body that who created?
You get into the shower for a warm bath and feel all your muscles relax as you dream about the day ahead. You have access to warm, running water. Believe it or not, this is a luxury for another…
Do you see where I'm headed?
And for sure, there might be some people reading and scoffing at every line because you are the other who doesn't have access to these things.
I'll only employ you to look around you, pull away, and observe your life. How are you able to read this right now? Who afforded you that device?
You may not be able to swing your legs over and climb out of bed or perform those stretches but guess who's got life. What about those whose love envelops you daily? And if there's no such person, guess who has an Almighty God, looking down adoringly and fawning over his/her every move.
Everything down to the tiniest detail of your existence comes from a single source that we most times are to distracted to see. There's always something else to thank God for. You will never run out of thanksgiving if you do it right.
And there may be a little magic to this heart posture. Let's look at Matthew 14:13-21 together. In this passage, Jesus and His disciples were faced with the seemingly impossible task of feeding 5000+ mouths. Verse 19, TPT version says, "Then he had everyone sit down on the grass and He then took the five loaves and two fish. He looked up into heaven, gave thanks to God, and broke the bread into pieces." If there is anything we know, it's that Jesus came to earth first for our salvation from sin but also to show us how to live. As the firstborn in the house of the redeemed, He is our perfect example.
When faced with ridiculous scarcity. Rather than pray for relief from the trouble, He lifted His eyes to the hills (the sky/heaven), where, as Psalm 121 tells us, our help comes from but instead of a petition, He released thanksgiving. The Bible recorded a surplus at the end of the meal.
This is a depiction of the power behind simple and genuine thanksgiving. But as with many other spiritual things with benefits, don't approach thanksgiving simply with the expectation of multiplication, let it be a true appreciation for your endowments.
So now, it's your turn, when you drop this device, look intentionally and mindfully at your life, your endowments, gifts, talents, relationships, and everything that makes you you, and let the thanksgiving flow.