To Be Grateful...
Maya Angelou once famously said "Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer." To me, this means that the inspiration for our gratitude is to be the loving God who continues to give us so much when we give back so little.
Our Father God shows us grace when we have done nothing to deserve it. It is as a response to this unearned kindness, forgiveness and love that we ought to live a grateful life.
1 Timothy 1:12 says "I am so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry." These words were written by Paul, speaking directly to Timothy as he "handed over" leadership of the ministry to him. These two simple sentences can serve as a reminder of how we too are to live in a state of constant gratitude. Not just to God, but to everyone and everything around us.
Modify the sentences like this. "I am so grateful to _(Insert the name of your boss, neighbor, spouse, child, co-worker etc...)__ and to God for making me adequate to do __(list the task, chore, job, skill etc... that you are doing)__. They (referring to whomever you said you were grateful to) went out on a limb for me, you know, in trusting me with this _(list the task, chore, job, skill etc...)_.
I believe that thoughts lead to words, words to actions, actions to habits and habits to outcomes or results. If this is true, imagine the power that would come from thinking grateful thoughts continuously. Imagine if we could fight the cynicism that our sin hardened heart produces and instead ponder grateful thoughts first.
- Instead of, "My boss is such a pain..." my thoughts should be, "I am so grateful for my boss, and to God for making me adequate to do my job as a leader of people. They went out on a limb for me, trusting me to lead, guide, direct, correct and develop the members of my team."
- Instead of, "Why does my wife not see things my way..." I should be thinking, "I am so grateful for my wife, and to God for making me adequate to do my job as a husband. They went out on a limb for me, trusting me to stand firm in my faith, remain true to my commitments and lead my family as Christ has directed me to."
- Instead of, "What next? How much more of this (pain, suffering, sorrow, loneliness, heartbreak, disappointment etc...) do I have to take?", I should instead lead with "I am so grateful for this challenge AND to God for making me adequate to take it on without worry. You went out on a limb for me, trusting me to persevere, pray, stand firm and overcome."
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Today dear Father God, let gratitude be the pillow upon which I kneel whenever I approach you in prayer. Grant me the strength to overcome my cynical sinful self and instead to lead with gratitude in all things!
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