GRATITUDE

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth – Psalm 34:1

GRATITUDE is the grade of your attitude; a measure of the strength of your attitude. Believers are designed to maintain an Attitude of Gratitude. We are encouraged to give thanks in all circumstances: “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1The.5:18). An Attitude of Gratitude means making it a habit to express thankfulness and appreciation in all aspects of your life, on a regular basis, for both the big and small things alike: If you are not grateful for even small things, you disqualify yourself for great things. Whenever you sow the seed of gratitude, you will harvest the fruit of greatness. Gratitude leads to the abundant life. What a thrill life is when you cultivate a Grateful Mindset! David, from a heart of gratitude delivered a legacy of most of the psalms and he kept soaring higher and higher. Praise brings you closer to God; because He dwells in the praises of His people (Psa.22:3).

On David’s first attempt to return the ark of the covenant, Uzzah died as he attempted to steady the ark while it was being conveyed from the “house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah” (2Sam.6:3-8)  He had been punished by God for bringing the ark back without recourse to the proper pattern in God’s law. David’s attitude to the incidence can be seen in his second attempt to bring the ark. The king danced with all his might because humility had caused him to find out the proper way to do it. He had rectified his error and remained grateful to God. David danced before the Lord so much, that he was uncovered. David did not care, but Michal, his wife, the daughter of Saul disdained him. Rather than being grateful to God for sparing her life after the evil her father did, and enabling her to marry the new king, she made jest of God’s anointed. For this, she suffered barrenness for the rest of her life. The consequence of Ingratitude is Barrenness! Quit complaining and cease murmuring.

Although it’s easy to take the wonderful blessings of life for granted, we have a lot to be thankful for. Maintaining an attitude of gratitude is something we need to do on purpose. Moreover, health researchers are unanimous on the therapeutic effects of gratitude. People who are thankful tend to eat healthier, sleep sounder, develop stronger immune systems, handle stress better, enjoy more energy, perform better at work, show increased productivity, and nurture deeper friendships. Joyce Meyer says, “There’s no happier person than a truly thankful, content person.” William Arthur Ward said, “God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say thank you?” Those who are really thankful cannot but share their testimonies. The Psalmist recalled God’s blessings and benefits in his life and expressed gratitude to Him for them (Psa. 103:1-5). Be grateful to God even for the seemingly insignificant blessings that others often overlook.

Gratefulness for yesterday’s mercies and miracles qualify you for tomorrow’s fruitfulness. Those who are never grateful can never be great! When you’re grateful for what you’ve been blessed with, you’ll always have more; but if you concentrate on what you don’t have, you may never have enough. Every day won’t be perfect, but focusing on what you are grateful for tends to wash away feelings of negativity, anger or regrets. However tough the times might have been, every day of our lives should be a day of Gratitude to our Lord, Saviour, Healer, Deliverer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Shepherd of our souls, and Soon-coming King. When you know how to think, you’ll know thank. Now think: “What could I be grateful for?” As the ideas flow, begin to give God thanks! It’s time to be exuberant and to bubble over with enthusiasm and gratitude. Wear gratitude like a cloak and see it fill every corner of your life. Someone said: Gratitude is the best Attitude! I believe so!!