Living a Life of Gratitude

Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father for everything, in the name our Lord Jesus Christ. (italics mine) Ephesians 5:20 ESV English Standard Version 

Last week, I struggled to give a gift to a little child who turned seven. I wrapped it up to make it special and was surprised at my response to his response. He opened the gift and said "I already have something like this before". Yes, right as you guessed it did hurt  but what struck me the most was in the split second  before I thought of the ingratitude he had displayed was the question "Lord is this how it feels when I take things that you do for granted? It sure was not a good feeling.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, Gratitude means “the art of being thankful, readiness to show appreciation for and return the kindness of others”.

I  really like the fact that it is defined as an "art" which means that it can be learnt and improved upon. It is my desire to be a little more grateful each passing day. But most times, this is usually a struggle as it seems easier in the midst of the busyness of life to be weighed down by worries, fear and doubt. Gratitude has a lot to do with attitude which means we can consciously decide to adapt the attitude of gratitude. One definition of “attitude” is a settled way of thinking or feeling. It means that the attitude of gratitude can be adapted and reinforced as we practice it till it becomes a lifestyle.

I erroneously used to think gratitude just meant “being thankful” but the definition above includes a readiness to show appreciation. Sometimes I may be thankful but if I show my appreciation grudgingly or after much coaxing, then I am not really grateful. The last part of the definition is to return the kindness of others. This is in line I believe with the principle of "paying forward”. Another test of my gratitude is what I am giving back and this giving back does not necessarily mean money but maybe being a little bit patient as I teach someone else as a sign that I appreciate the fact that firstly, I am grateful for the time my teachers took to teach me and secondly that I am thankful to God for giving me the ability to understand what was taught.

God wants us to be a people of gratitude and not to take Him or life for granted. He rightly deserves our appreciation but also wants us to show gratitude to the people he has placed in our lives.

Feeling grateful,

Grace Tom-Lawyer