Archive for Gratitude
Don’t Grow Immune to the Blessings of God
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In the natural, the more we’re exposed to something the more it depreciates. It has less value. We appreciate it less.
On the contrary, the less we get of something the more value it has. It’s human nature. We want what we can’t have and when we get it, we want more of it.
Here’s another way of putting it. We grow an immunity to the things that come easy. In the spiritual, that’s how we are with the blessings of God.
Day in and day out, we pray for more. We exercise faith. But once we get more blessings, favor and opportunities the more we become immune to them- so to speak. The blessings have less value. They depreciate over time.
Don’t grow immune to the blessings of God. Give thanks and make a big deal out of every little blessing God gives you.
When you wake up in the morning, be thankful for the little things. Tell God, “Thank you for a roof over my head.” Be thankful that you’re healthy, whole and in good peace.
The scripture says when you’re faithful over the few things, the Lord will make you ruler over many things. Part of being faithful is being grateful. Be grateful for the little things and the Lord will grant you better blessings.
Don’t let the blessings of God depreciate in value. No, continue to develop an appreciation for the great things God has bestowed upon you. When you do so, God will shower down more blessings and favor as you charge forth on your journey of life!
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Attitude of Gratitude!
Posted by: | CommentsEveryone has a reason to complain. But we all have an even greater reason to be grateful. No matter how bad we have it, or even how good we have it, everyone has something they want to change for the better.
Too often, when we don’t get our way, we tend to complain, gripe and get bitter. But the good news is you can change this mindset. God takes great pleasure when we show an attitude of gratitude, even in the bad times.
When you wake up in the morning, the enemy goes hard to work to try to get you to focus on the negative instead of the positive. He’ll cause you to dwell on everything that’s going wrong, and make you forget about what’s going right.
.Instead of bickering and complaining, make a decision to put on your attitude of gratitude. You see, we all have our morning routine. We wake up, wash our face, brush our teeth and put on our clothes before we even leave out the door. Well in the same way, make it a part of your morning routine to give thanks to God, even for the little things.
Be thankful for the breath in your body. Be thankful that you have full activity of your limbs. Show gratitude for a roof over your head and clothes on your back. Be thankful that you’re in full health and that you’re in your right mind.
As cliche as it sounds, it can always be worse. Someone wasn’t fortunate to see another day. There could be someone out there who is in poor health. Maybe Read More→
ShareForget Not His Many Benefits
Posted by: | CommentsThe total opposite of thanksgiving is complaining. And we have a tendency to complain when things are not going our way. But the truth is, this is what the enemy wants you to do. He want’s you to look at what’s going wrong, rather than focus on what’s going right.
When we complain, we tend to forget the Lord’s benefits. We forget all He’s done for us. And in the interim, it causes a downward cycle of bitterness, sadness, and frustration.
But be encouraged today. Don’t look at what’s going wrong in your life, look at what’s going right. Don’t yield to the temptation of the adversary and allow him to throw you off track. No, remember all the Lord’s many benefits.
Be thankful that you’re healthy and whole. Be thankful that you’re in your right mind, and have full activity of your limbs.
His benefits are that you’re blessed going in and coming out. You’re blessed and highly favored of the Lord. He’s a God that causes you to prosper in everything that you do. He has even given you the ability to do all things through Christ which strengthens you. These are just a few of the many benefits that come with the Lord’s “package deal”.
You see, it’s likened to getting a job. When you get hired on to that job, you’re getting more than just a paycheck. You’re getting extra benefits. Some companies even offer incentive bonuses. When you get sick or have an accident, and end up in the hospital, that’s when your Read More→
ShareGratitude in Advance
Posted by: | CommentsDo you find yourself celebrating promotions, good news and big accomplishments after they become manifested? It’s good to celebrate but I believe that God is also moved when you to celebrate in advance.
Many times we go about it the wrong way. When we come face to face with struggles in life, we complain, get bitter, hold resentment and become impatient. We look at the dark lining in every difficult situation. However, when the breakthrough comes, we celebrate. We throw a party with friends to mark the occasion and show our gratitude.
Showing gratitude in advance works two fold: (One) When you show gratitude even in the midst of trials, you’ll find that a thankful heart always helps to ease the situation. (Two) When you show gratitude ahead of time, you’re showing God that you trust He’s in control. You’re trusting that He’s got the end result worked out in your favor. You’re showing that even though you don’t see a way, God has the way.
The scripture says that He who is faithful over a few things, the Lord will make him ruler over many. Instead, of complaining that you don’t have more, be Read More→
ShareComplaining Doesn’t Help!
Posted by: | CommentsWhen hardships come our way, one of the things we do is complain. Although we do it without intention, it’s something that gets the best of us.
But I believe that complaining doesn’t please the Lord. Let’s use the story Israelites in the wilderness as an example. When God delivered the Children of Israel out of bondage land in Egypt, they journeyed through the desert for approximately forty years.
The whole time the land that God promised them was just on the other side of the mountain. But it was their constant complaining and murmuring that caused God to get angry and delay them from going into their promise land. In fact, when God rained bread from the heavens, they complained about the bread, they preferred meat.
Due to their complaining God vowed that their children, the next generation Israelites, would be the only ones to see the promise land. The first generation that was delivered out of Egypt died in the wilderness.
My friend, just like the Israelites we too have a tendency to complain through our wilderness experience. When something doesn’t go our way we’re tempted to get upset and Read More→
ShareBefore You Ask God For Anything, Thank Him For Everything
Posted by: | CommentsAs you charge forth on your journey of life remember to have a nature a gratitude. Thankfulness and appreciation can go along way.
I’ll never forget coming up in the church. And when the minister prayed the prayer, He always began with the words “…before we ask you for anything we want to thank you for everything.”
Those words stuck with me even until this day. I could hear the minister saying the phrase like it was yesterday. Not just because they were fancy – Not just because they had a rhyme or a catchy nature, but because every time he prayed the prayer, it was being further implanted in my mind.
You see, the more I heard those words the more deep-seated they became. When you wake up in the morning, make an effort to be thankful for that which has been given to you. When you see a friend, tell Read More→
ShareIn Everything Give Thanks!
Posted by: | CommentsAs you embark along your journey, be mindful that God responds to a grateful heart. In fact, David said this is another day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Notice that the scripture didn’t say let’s just get through the day the best we can. It didn’t say let’s rejoice for tomorrow. No, it’s declaring that we rejoice in today.
You should also be grateful for the little things that you have – those people in your life, be thankful for them as well. As we embark on another day to celebrate Father’s day, let’s be thankful for every awakening moment that we have to spend with our fathers.
Celebrate everyone and everything around you. Just as the good Lord gave you everything he can take it all away. I dare you to be thankful for everything great and small.
I’m reminded of the ten lepers who saw Jesus coming and began shouting to Him asking to be healed of their disease. When they did as Jesus commanded them to do, which was to go to the priest, they began to noticed that they were healed of their affliction. They all began to rejoice and went away except for one. One came back to Jesus to thank Him. Because he came back to thank Jesus, he was made whole.
Although the other nine were healed, there were still signs of their disease. But because the one came back to thank Christ, he was not only healed but he was Read More→
ShareSuccess Is Relative – What Does It Mean To You?
Posted by: | CommentsWhat is success to you? Is it having everything together? Being in total control over everything in your life? Could it be never-ending joy and happiness? Is it having financial freedom or owning that house on the hill or driving a Rolls Royce?
Success if different to different people. To one person, success is achieving all the goals that they’ve set out to accomplish. For the next, it could simply mean living a life full of joy and happiness.
Success is defined as: an event that accomplishes its intended purpose; or a state of prosperity or fame;
The dictionary provides a skeleton type definition of success. However, it’s up to you to determine what success means to you.
What influences your view of success?
I’ll never forget the series that used to come on TV entitled, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. I guess there’s really no need to go into depth as to what the show is all about. The title pretty much sums it up.
This television series had the great ability to paint the perfect picture of success, in the eyes of it’s many viewers. It featured people who lived in extravagant homes, drove extraordinary automobiles, traveled the world, and then some.
The media has a way of painting the picture into our minds of what true success is. I believe propaganda is the word that comes to mind. It’s almost as if to say- if you aren’t living the lifestyle of the next man, or you have achieved the things that this and that person has achieved, then you haven’t achieved success.
Maybe success is raising a healthy family and seeing your children live past eighteen. Maybe success is planting a tree and watching it grow to be tall and strong. Could success be overcoming a condition that the doctors said there was a little to no chance of you overcoming?
I write on the importance of dreaming and dreaming big. But I think it’s important that Read More→
ShareTwo Powerful Words, Thank You
Posted by: | Comments“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” ~William A. Ward
There is a natural tendency for us humans to constantly want more, it’s in our nature. It’s always about the next best thing. What are the trends now-a-days? What is everybody getting? These are two questions that you may often ask yourself.
Companies are making a fortune because they know that in spite of the recession, or regardless of the drop in the economy that there is always a demand for new technology. When the iphone came out, people waited in long lines to get one. They did the same with the ipad and a host of other new gadgets on the scene.
With technology constantly changing and progressing, it’s very easy to lose focus on what we already have. We tend to forget about the things that we are thankful for.
Do you find yourself getting caught up in the hype and wanting the newest thing that’s come out on the market? Remember, God honors those who show gratitude for the good in their life. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the day that we forget to say thank you.
Just like today’s saying states, there are 86,400 seconds in a day. I don’t know about you my friend but that sounds like too big of a number to not take 1 second to simply say thank you.
Gratitude is so powerful that they devoted a whole day to show thanks for the discovery of America. Every third Thursday in November businesses shut down and family comes in town to celebrate Thanksgiving. We take out time to focus on how much we have to be thankful for.
Why wait until Thanksgiving day to say thank you. I believe you will have more peace of mind when you show gratitude everyday. There is power in those 2 words, thank you. Read More→
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