Gratefulness or praise has been a journey for me. The earliest memory of becoming aware that gratefulness would be elusive for me would have been around 12 years of age. I know this behavior happened earlier, but that is my earliest memory of being aware that gratefulness was something that would have to be trained.
I wanted a new three wheeler front tire for Christmas really bad! I thought about it for months. I looked at them in the DirtWheels magazine all the time. When I got my tire, I remember my mind quickly going to the thing I wanted next. I remember thinking…”this is weird. Why am I not more grateful for what I wanted forever?”
I remember in my mid 20s battling negative thoughts and hearing the quote, “the antidote to negative thinking is not positive thinking, but gratefulness.” I remember starting to write prayer journals of praises because my mind didn’t want to go there naturally. I would go on runs thinking, I am just going to praise God this morning, but in 30 seconds I would start to think about things that were wrong or things I needed to work on.
I remember falling in love w James 1:2-3. “Consider it pure joy when you endure trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Then I learned the navy seal motto is that they thrive on adversity when reading Marcus Luttrell’s book, Lone Survivor. In it, he writes, “I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission.”
Gratefulness takes work. It is not something that comes natural. We have a grateful muscle that we have to work out. We can’t rely on our feelings to lead us to gratefulness.
The people who really amaze me are the ones who can go through adversity, crazy hard times, and praise God anyway. How do they do that? Some that I know seem to have a strong understanding of eternal matters.
As we prepare for communion, we are reminded of the major reason for our gratefulness. The bread represents His body that was broken for us and the blood represents His blood that was shed. One last thought.
My latest run in with gratefulness was Jan 6 when Tony lead us in “I Raise a Hallelujah”. His dad dying of pancreatic cancer, Tony is raising a hallelujah. In front of everyone, without a tear in his eye. He is raising a hallelujah. I would like to read these lyrics as our prayer:
Raise a Hallelujah Bethel Music, Jonathan David Helser
I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemiesI raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me
I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!
I raise a hallelujah, with everything inside of me
I raise a hallelujah, I will watch the darkness flee
I raise a hallelujah, in the middle of the mystery
I raise a hallelujah, fear you lost your hold on me!
I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!
Sing a little louder (In the presence of my enemies)
Sing a little louder (Louder than the unbelief)
Sing a little louder (My weapon is a melody)
Sing a little louder (Heaven comes to fight for me)
Sing a little louder (In the presence of my enemies)Sing a little louder (Louder than the unbelief)
Sing a little louder (My weapon is a melody)
Sing a little louder (Heaven comes to fight for me)
Sing a little louder!
I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!
Songwriters: Jonathan David Helser / Melissa Helse
#2As we prepare for communion this morning, I would like you to consider the possibility that lack of gratefulness is a major reason for our inability to resist temptation.
When I was about 13 years old, I remember wanting a new front tire for my three wheeler. I imagined it giving me better control and looking really cool. I planned the kind I wanted for months. I thought about it all the time. I would get the dirtwheels magazines and could see myself on the cover of the magazine. Christmas came, I got what I hoped for and I remember my mind going straight to the next thing that I wanted. I was happy I got the wheel, but once I received it, I didn’t take much time to be grateful for the gift I had received.
Over the years, I have learned that gratefulness does not come natural. In fact, I have learned that gratefulness takes work. When I am grateful, I am in a better place. We have a gratefulness muscle. It takes work to be good at being grateful.
On a scale from 1 to 10, how easy it is it for you to be grateful? How much of the day do you spend thinking about things for which you are gratefulness? Is it easier for you to be grateful or to feel like you deserve more?
Satan wants us to believe that God is holding out on us. Why is it that the one apple Eve ate, was the one she was not supposed to eat? Could it be she wasn’t grateful for what she had, and just wanted something more believing that God is holding out on us?
Indeed, perhaps lack of gratefulness is a major reason for our inability to resist temptation. Our sin, leads us here to this moment
Luke22:19-2019 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.Prayer:Grateful for Jesus. Thank you for His example. Thank you for forgiving us. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that helps us be transformed. Thank you for your love that surpasses knowledge. Thank you for being patient with us. Help us grasp how wide and long, high and deep is the love of Christ. Father help us build our gratefulness muscles so that we can truly grasp the power of your love in our lives.
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