Gratitude Blesses You

Gratitude Blesses You

Gratitude blesses you

What do you think? Is gratitude another chore on your to-do list or is it something that blesses you? It might feel it takes more than you have but once we learn to count our blessings, it starts giving instead of taking. I’ve learned that gratitude blesses you. And when we learn this, we can’t live without it.

First of all, it teaches us to pay attention to our lives. How else could we find things to be grateful for, right? And by paying attention to our lives, we start really living. Otherwise, we sleepwalk through our lives. Hence gratitude indeed blesses us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17, NIV)

Gratitude blesses you

Second of all, gratitude teaches us ‘everything is grace’ as Henri Nouwen put it. He continues, ‘As long as we remain resentful about things we wish had not happened, about relationships that we wish had turned out differently, mistakes we wish we had not made, part of our heart remains isolated, unable to bear fruit in the new life ahead of us. It is a way we hold part of us apart from God.’

Gratitude blesses you because it opens your eyes to see everything really is grace and that enlarges your heart to embrace all that God is and all that God has for you. You can start by celebrating being alive, practicing gratitude, and giving thanks in every situation. Because everything really is grace, even if we can’t see it right now.

Dear God,
Wake us up from slumber.
Forgive us for complaining and being resentful for things that have happened to us.
Help us to give thanks in every situation
and instead of grumbling surrender all that has happened to you.
Thank you for being in control of our lives.
Be praised for opening our eyes to see and appreciate our lives.
Bless us, Lord, according to your plan for us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Do you believe gratitude blesses you?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you embrace God and all that he has for you!

Photo by Kiy Turk on Unsplash.

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