For the believer in Christ, gratitude should be a perpetual and ongoing expression, as natural as breathing – paying tribute to God the Father by paying attention.
“O my soul, thou art capable of enjoying God,
woe to thee if thou are contented with anything less than God.”
–Francis de Sales
It is only through paying attention and offering grateful acknowledgement that we learn to see – the graces, the glory. And this is the means of gazing into the heart of God and enjoying Him.
As you begin to practice the discipline of gratitude, for the very first time or as a special observance for the month of November, be mindful that it is easy to learn to notice, to count gifts and to give thanks when our circumstances are good. But what about when things are hard? And sometimes they are very hard. In those difficult times it is essential that as we pay attention, we remember that our focus is God. With our focus rightly on God, we can come to the place of being able to express gratitude in the midst of every situation. “Thankfulness is the acknowledgement that God can redeem every situation and make us more than triumphant in any circumstance” (see Romans 8:13-19).
This is the beauty of gratitude. Grateful hearts invite us to a shift in our relationship with God and with others. In this place of gratitude we are invited to journey from selfishness to selflessness, from loss to trust, from pain to praise, and from apathy to worship.
“Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness
that you are… a divine choice.”
–Henri Nouwen
Yes, you! You are His divine choice! What does that do for your heart? Isn’t it time to live in this knowledge, all the time? He chose you, and He chose you to live fully! Live with astonished gratitude. Awed wonder. And overwhelming joy. Live utterly free.
November is the focused month of Thanksgiving. Perhaps it’s time to spend your November days paying attention and offering grateful acknowledgement.
Below are three ways to offer grateful acknowledgement. I encourage you to choose one. Pay attention. Pay tribute.
Count Gifts
Gratitude Journal A-Z
Write Out Scriptures of Gratitude Daily
3 comments
mareedee2016
I love November and turning my heart to Gratitude. Now to keep it going all year. Thank you for sharing with Grace & Truth Christian LInk-Up.
Cheryl Gerou
Visiting from Grace’nTruth link up. Yes, God is here in the present, but so often we miss Him, because we are too busy or hyper-focused on life. It is when we miss Him, we miss out on the gift of joy He has for our hearts. This is a reminder I needed…be present, recognize His presence and His gifts, and give thanks. Thank you for such a great reminder!
Karen
Gratitude is so important… when we make it a central part of our time with God, we’ll find that we ask for less and trust more. thanks!