Heart of Gratitude

Inspired Song: Gratitude by Brandon Lake

A grateful heart is a way to honor God and can help bring more blessings to you. However, gratitude is not an arbitrary random feeling that arises from nothing. It must be cultivated. Biblical gratefulness is more than just saying the words “thank you”. It is acknowledging the kindness of God and giving praise to the one who gives. This is why the Bible speaks about being grateful in every season, especially the hard ones.

A perfect example is in Luke 7:36, the story about the sinful woman who anointed Jesus. This woman was living a sinful life when she heard Jesus was nearby she came running to honor Him. She was so thankful that her sins have been forgiven that her gratitude naturally poured out of her heart and into her actions. She anointed him with oil and perfume and washed His feet with her tears and hair. Her worship was from a heart of gratefulness. This action exemplifies Ephesians 2:4-10 perfectly.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:4-10, NIV

There are so many things the Lord has been doing in my life that I would love to express my gratitude for. Everything is not perfect, that is for sure, but God has been more than faithful in this current season. Here are some things I am grateful for.

School

The Lord has been so faithful in my schoolwork. I am entering my last year at UTSA and God has definitely shown up. Since I made the decision to place Him above my school He has honored that and really has been so kind to me. I am about to finish my bachelor's degree in 3 years with almost straight A’s and about to pursue my JD. Along the way, I have made genuine friendships and I do not feel burnt out at all. That is not by my power but by the grace of God.

Family

Being this far from my parents has been hard for me because I definitely see them as some of my best friends. They have been discipling me since I was born and now that I have a personal relationship with God their hard work does not go unnoticed. We have had our ups and downs especially as we enter a new season in our family where we all are out of the house. The devil has tried hard to break us up and cause strain but by the kindness of God, he has kept us all together with Him at the center. His will has been done regardless of how the enemy has tried to sway us. Despite this distance, I feel even closer to my family.

Friends

YALL! LET ME TELL YOU! When you listen to God, things work the way they were supposed to. He calls us to live in community and follow his Word. When I first started walking with God I was outside of community and it was so hard. It was discouraging and easier to compromise on my convictions because I was surrounded by people who did not believe. However, now since being here I have made so many friends that push me towards Him constantly. These are faithful friends who cry, laugh, and pray with me. We do life together. It has been so encouraging to have people around me who follow God, sharpen me, and hold me accountable. I know I can call any of them to ask for help and they will go above and beyond. These friendships are great but the only reason they exist is because of the character of God. We follow Him and keep Him at the center of our friendships. These friendships are only a reflection and glimpse into how He cares and loves all of us.

Every good and perfect gift comes from God. I am so thankful for so much more, if I had 10,000 tongues it still wouldn't be enough to say what I am grateful for. I challenge yall to find something every day that you are thankful for. It is the best way to cultivate a heart of gratitude.

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Helpful Links:

Bible: https://www.biblegateway.com/

Chi Alpha: https://www.sachialpha.com/