Power Of An Attitude Of Gratitude

Key Scripture:  “Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.” Colossians 4:2, The Message

“One of them, (the lepers) when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God.  He kneeled at Jesus feet, so grateful.  He couldn’t thank him enough.”  Luke 17:14, The Message

Power Point:

Recently we talked about “savoring the moment”. I want to amplify that a bit. When you are “savoring”, why not add an attitude of gratitude? In the story of the 10 lepers who were healed, in Luke 17, only one returned to say thank you.  Jesus was a bit surprised. He noticed. He said, “Were there not 10 healed?  Where are the 9?”  In Luke 10, after the disciples returned triumphantly from their first assignment, we read, Jesus rejoiced in His Spirit”. He was grateful.  In John 14:41, He says, “Father I’m grateful that You have listened to Me”.

I love it when people are grateful when I do something for them.  I think God probably is too!  When was the last time you made it a point to take a moment (or a few) and "be alert with your eyes wide open in gratitude” to Him? Could you do it right now? Could you ask Him to help you remember the things for which you can be grateful? May I help?

I’m grateful that He is faithful even when I am not.

I’m grateful that I know Him and that I know that He is for me and is working out every detail in my life for good.

I’m grateful that He is the Father of my family and He takes His role seriously.

I’m grateful for my home, my car, my poodles, my family, and my friends-not necessarily in that order.

I’m grateful for every promise He has given me to help me partner with Him to bring His plans and purposes into reality for me and those I love.
I'm grateful that when I take a leap of faith, He catches me.

Beloved, we are called to be grateful. It is a key to kingdom life. Paul said we are to “be thankful in everything”. Not for everything but in everything. If you’re in a tough place, begin to focus on the fact that you’ve made it this far. You’re still here!  Begin to vocalize your gratitude. Say it out loud-you need to hear it too. Did you notice a shift in your atmosphere when you began to think of things to be grateful for? When we “Choose Life” by choosing to be grateful, everything changes.

Psalm 100 says that we enter into His presence with thanksgiving. Gratitude opens your heart to Him doesn’t it?  Gratitude causes us to begin to think on the good not the bad, the beautiful not the ugly.  It causes us to think of all the “impossibles” that are possible for us with Him. It releases heaven to earth for us. 

Why don’t you try it? I think you’ll like it. It’s a good habit to form don’t you think?

Power Thought:

 “Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God.” (Hebrews 12:28)  Can I hear an "Amen"? Louder please!