Develop an Attitude of Gratitude
- Joe Palmisano
- Sep 10
- 3 min read
THEME: Learning to live within your gratitude links
A story is told of a woman whose husband lay in bed dying, going in and out of a coma. One day, he awakened and reached out to draw her close. As she sat next to him, he began to whisper his remembrances.
“You have been right there beside me through all the rough times. You were there when I got fired. You were there when my business failed. You were there when we lost the house. And you have been right here by my side as my health has failed, and I lay dying.” Finally, he paused and asked, “You know what?”
“What, dearest?" she asked as she wiped a tear from her eye.
“I think you’re bad luck,” he muttered as he turned his head, slipping back to sleep.
That is a warped display of gratitude, but I found it so funny that I needed to share it. Like this man, however, many of us often fall short of showing or conveying gratitude for what God and others have done for us. In his message to us this week, Pastor Dan spoke of how we must think and reflect on who made it possible for us to be where we are today, spiritually, or physically. Truthfully, none of us has achieved anything on our own. We often hear the term “self-made man or woman,” as if that person were an island of success. If we could rewind that person’s life, we would find hundreds of people whose shoulders that person is standing on. I see that in my life, and if you allow yourself to think, you will too, from childhood friends to teachers and coaches, parents and relatives, employees, bosses, and Pastors. Not one of us is “Self-made;” frankly, I am glad it is so.
The same is true in our spiritual life and who we are in Jesus. No matter how far along our spiritual journey, when we think back and reflect on the path, we will see that it was all God. From the first inkling to find meaning in this life to seeing the majesty of creation, we begin to be grateful for the one who awakened us. Then we see our God becoming a man, invading time and space physically, to save us by being murdered by the very ones He created. How can we be so busy not to dwell on His Grace and Love each moment?
Being grateful is realizing that we have done nothing on our own. In fact, God designed this interdependence between humans to remind us of the interdependence with Him through Jesus.
John Milton wrote, “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” Without gratitude, we are never quite as joyful, humble, or in awe of this life. How do we get there?
Cultivate an awareness of life daily and live intentionally in the moment. Do not sleepwalk through life. Then become curious about all you become aware of. Allow yourself to understand how God and others affect your life. Next, work your memory and think on all you come to know through your curiosity and awareness. It is natural to only feel grateful for what you remember. Practice recalling the most important people and things you care about in your life, and what God has done and how you are changed. If you grow these disciplines, you will develop a chain of gratitudes for God and people who helped make you who you are. Link Your gratitude chains together, as there is power in this, and view your life in terms of these gratitude chains about God and those he has given you.
Like all else in this life, gratitude is not developed automatically, however, “The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.” … (Dr. Robert Holden)
SCRIPTURES: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
PRAYER:
Lord, as I come to you in prayer, how can I spend one moment thinking that I reached this point in life on my own? How can I get that busy or become that cold that I forget you and the people you have placed in my path. Every step of this journey begins and ends with you, and in between are the thousands you have used, whether aware of you or not, to be your tools to mold me. Lord, teach me to live in constant gratitude for your love, grace, and mercy in my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, in gratitude. Amen
Comments