Growing in Gratitude with Sacha C.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
What are you thankful for today? Today is another day on Earth; another day to praise God for His marvelous works, and for letting us live another day. Being blessed with another day means that God is not finished with us yet. He has a plan and purpose for each and every one of us and as Christians, we should be following in His footsteps, doing His Will in our lives.
We should also practice gratitude toward God daily. When we look at the meaning of gratitude, it is reflecting upon and showing thankfulness for all that we have going on in our lives. In particular, as Christians, we are showing gratitude toward our Creator for all the blessings He has given us, and for how He will use our experiences for His purposes. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
When we practice gratitude each day, we are humbling ourselves toward God and acknowledging that all good things come from Him. God creates life, and everything that happens in our lives is through His knowledge and authority. No matter what we’re experiencing, we should continue to praise God and give Him the glory, for His ways are always best. When we believe that, we can learn to be content and joyful in all things.
But when we are tempted to doubt God’s goodness, we can reorient ourselves by looking to the cross: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
The greatest gift that God has ever given us is the sacrifice that His son, Jesus, made for us all. God sent His one and only begotten son into the world to become the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the whole world; whoever chooses to believe in Him shall be saved. God gives us a chance of redemption through His son, Jesus, by allowing all of our sins to be forgiven–past, present and future–and giving us the free gift of eternal life through Christ in Heaven.
Through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for us, we are now part of God’s family. We are His children and have the light of Christ within us. By practicing gratitude toward God each day, and remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, we can radiate the light of Christ through our actions and words.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come to you in prayer today because I want to thank you for all that you have given me and blessed me with in my life. Thank you for my family, my friends, a roof over my head, and food on my table. Thank you, Lord, for your son Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for all of us on the cross. Thank you for always being there for me and for hearing and answering my prayers. I pray that I will continue to praise you and glorify you, always, and be joyful and content in all things. Through practicing gratitude each day and radiating the light of Christ, I pray that others will draw near to you, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.
Dig Deeper: Colossians 2:6-8
Discussion Questions:
1. Why is it important to practice gratitude toward God each day?
2. What are some ways that you can practice gratitude in your daily routine?
ABOUT SAcHA C.
Sacha is the Owner/Creator of Clothed With Dignity Co which is a Christian blog and apparel store that encourages women to be strong, honorable and faithful to God. She loves encouraging others in the faith, and designing apparel to share the gospel!
