Let thankfulness rule in your heart. As you thank me for blessings in your life, a marvelous thing happens. It is as if scales fall of your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of my glorious riches. – excerpt from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
Gratefulness changes everything. More than 75 percent of the world’s population lives in areas that we would deem unindustrialized. There are no Starbucks. No indoor plumbing. No mass transit systems. Yet there seems to be an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the little they do have. We need to adopt that philosophy.
According to the above excerpt, when we allow thankfulness to rule in our hearts, the scales of indifference, discontentment and self-indulgence begin to fall off our eyes. We begin to really take stock of all the wonderful blessings in our life—big and small. Running water, grocery stores, friends who love us, the jobs we have, healthy children, the ability to love, all of these things begin to resonate in our hearts. We spend less time worrying about the things we do not have and more time honing in on all that we do.
I often wonder how different things would be if Adam and Eve had adopted this train of thought. They allowed the serpent to plant a seed of discourse in their hearts. This eventually led to their focus shifting from God’s splendid provision to God’s suppression. They seemingly forgot about Eden’s beauty and God’s presence. Instead of rejecting the lies of the serpent or going to God with what they had heard, they simply allowed the seed to become thought which becomes action which lead to their spiritual death.
Seeds of discontentment will sprout roots and bear fruit. As believers, we have to rip those seeds out of our hearts and minds. Being grateful uproots those seeds and forces us to center our attention on things that truly matter. There are riches around us. There are blessings, abundance and joy that journey with us every day. When we avail ourselves to acknowledge their presence, we can begin to see just how blessed we are.
God is a praiseworthy God. We may not have everything we want to have but He does provide us with all that we need. If you find that your thankfulness reservoir is on empty, try beginning your day with thankfulness. Begin your day with prayers that thank God for who He is. Father, I thank you that you hear me and always hear me. I thank you for your love and your grace. Lord, I thank you that you continue to bless me even when I least deserve it. I thank you for the ability to bless others. Help me to be a blessing and to see your blessing, in Jesus’ name amen.
Simple prayers like these open our hearts and allow our souls to be receptive to God’s provision. We want to see more of His glorious riches. Ratnas refers to this as having a right faith.
According to the above excerpt, when we allow thankfulness to rule in our hearts, the scales of indifference, discontentment and self-indulgence begin to fall off our eyes. We begin to really take stock of all the wonderful blessings in our life—big and small. Running water, grocery stores, friends who love us, the jobs we have, healthy children, the ability to love, all of these things begin to resonate in our hearts. We spend less time worrying about the things we do not have and more time honing in on all that we do.
I often wonder how different things would be if Adam and Eve had adopted this train of thought. They allowed the serpent to plant a seed of discourse in their hearts. This eventually led to their focus shifting from God’s splendid provision to God’s suppression. They seemingly forgot about Eden’s beauty and God’s presence. Instead of rejecting the lies of the serpent or going to God with what they had heard, they simply allowed the seed to become thought which becomes action which lead to their spiritual death.
Seeds of discontentment will sprout roots and bear fruit. As believers, we have to rip those seeds out of our hearts and minds. Being grateful uproots those seeds and forces us to center our attention on things that truly matter. There are riches around us. There are blessings, abundance and joy that journey with us every day. When we avail ourselves to acknowledge their presence, we can begin to see just how blessed we are.
God is a praiseworthy God. We may not have everything we want to have but He does provide us with all that we need. If you find that your thankfulness reservoir is on empty, try beginning your day with thankfulness. Begin your day with prayers that thank God for who He is. Father, I thank you that you hear me and always hear me. I thank you for your love and your grace. Lord, I thank you that you continue to bless me even when I least deserve it. I thank you for the ability to bless others. Help me to be a blessing and to see your blessing, in Jesus’ name amen.
Simple prayers like these open our hearts and allow our souls to be receptive to God’s provision. We want to see more of His glorious riches. Ratnas refers to this as having a right faith.
©2010-2013 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved
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