Grateful Heart
Generally, no one seems comfortable and/or likes a constantly complaining attitude of someone close to them. Such an attitude may have been developed by the complaining person from their childhood, maybe in their upbringing by their parents or significant adult in their life. There are some parents who raised their children expecting perfection in them, even though they themselves are not perfect. No human being is an embodiment of perfection. We all fall short in one way or the other. Only God Christ is perfect, all knowing, all powerful, all seeing and everyone at all times (Psalm 139).
One of the biblical teachings for our wellbeing is that of the practice or attitude or lifestyle of expressing appreciation or thanks for who we are, especially as God’s creature for we are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 8). Whatever talents we may have and good positions in life ultimately is made possible by our God.
Jesus told the story of some ten lepers who came to Him for healing at Luke 17: 11-19, He instructed them to go and show themselves to the priests. As they were going, they all found themselves being healed, but only one of them returned back to Jesus to express grateful thanks. And he was highly commended thus: “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine, where are they? … And Jesus said to the grateful heart, ‘Stand up and go, your faith has made you well” (vs 17, 19). This grateful soul was the one permanently and wholesomely healed! That’s an illustration and benefit of a thankful heart.
As people of faith in God, we ought to learn to express our grateful appreciation to God for being our Maker and Creator, as well as the Sustainer of our life. Our eternal salvation made possible by Jesus’s sacrifice on the Cross is a life changer experience for every born again child of God for which we ought to be daily and perpetually grateful to God. Apostle Paul said it this way in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”.
We are also encouraged to learn to give thanks in every circumstances of life because this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus (I Thessalonians 5:18). Apostle Paul who was highly inspired to pen several of the New Testament epistles opens every one of them with heart of gratitude to God who miraculously saved him and called him to be His anointed vessel and servant and Apostle!
Even when we find ourselves in seemingly relatively bad situation, we are to trust God because all things work together for good for those who love God and called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Every prayer we embark to pray ought to start with recognizing God’s wonderful nature and revelation to us for who he is and what He means to us and does in our life daily.
Why should we cultivate a heart of gratitude to God and to our fellow human beings who bless us with good things? Such a heart is calmly peaceful and emotionally joyful, stabled and focused, and an encourager to other fellow human beings. We all feel gracefully delighted for such a grateful heart!
The challenge to every reader of this writeup is to be an embodiment of grateful heart. If not yet, we are all capable of doing so for the gift and revelation of God Christ, the gift of our life bestowed to us and sustained thereby, the gift of family and what we mean to one another, the gift of the Church and the Holy Spirit manifestations inside us in fruit of love, joy, peace… and self control.
May this day and every day be an expression of gratitude to God, everyone and everyone good thing that we richly enjoy. And may we be a channel of blessing to humanity for which recipients will continually have reason to be grateful.