Let Gratitude Change Your Life

” Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Enter his (God’s) gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; for his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5 (NIV)

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Let gratitude change your life. Did you know you are blessed beyond measure? How can you help but feel blessed when you understand and believe that you serve an Almighty God who works all things for good, and makes all things new for those who believe in Him? We need to turn to Jesus daily, when things are going well, and when they are not and all seems lost. Seek Him when you experience joy, and also in times of tremendous loss and grief. Just a prayer away, Jesus quietly stands in wait for us to turn to Him, and walks with us through thick and thin. And it all starts with prayerful gratitude for our blessings.

Are You Aware of Jesus’ Presence?

Much of the time, we are fully unaware of Jesus’ presence in our lives. Yet He remains with us to instruct, guide, protect, comfort, heal, and most of all save us from our sins, our enemies, and despair. When we falter, Jesus is there waiting to console us and provide forgiveness when we humbly come to Him and ask for forgiveness. Most of all, He is our Lord and Savior who died for our sins, so He can lead us to eternal life. In good times, Jesus celebrates with us. In difficult, challenging times of suffering, infirmity and disability, unemployment, poverty, anxiety, fear and depression, etc… He guides, protects and comforts us in every possible way. If you had any idea as to the great love Jesus has for you, and how often He has intervened in your life on your behalf, saving you from harm, you would fall on your knees and weep! For Jesus is the great lover of our souls, our all-knowing and ever present God. He is with us through it all—whatever we face in this life. There isn’t anything you or I have ever experienced or done without Jesus at our side, trying to lead us to higher ground.

God’s Love and Grace Abound

It is not possible to earn favor with God. We are certainly not blessed by God because of anything you or I have said or done. In reality, we are simply lost sheep in need of a shepherd; broken souls in need of a Savior. He knows all that and is there for us—because of that and loves us all the same. God’s love is His gift to us, freely given, by His grace alone. His love cannot be earned. As our Creator and the Lover of our Souls, He has given all of humanity His never ending, unconditional love and accessible presence. Jesus is and always has been, with us, wherever we go, whatever we do. He is not only with us when we fold our hands in church on Sunday mornings to go up to receive Holy Communion, or when we say our early morning or evening prayers at the end of the day. No, Jesus is with us every minute of our lives– loving us, healing us. He goes before us to pave the way, and behind us to help pick up the pieces of lost disappointments, dreams and broken relationships. Our God is an all knowing God who is eternal, He is Emanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ So if you have ever wondered if God is with you, hopefully now you are sure. Nothing can separate you, or any of us, from His unfailing love and his presence in our lives.

When you realize you are blessed beyond measure by God’s Love and care, you can begin again, start fresh to live a life of gratitude. You will want to praise God for all of His most generous blessings, past present and future. You may even may find yourself beginning to pray more often to seek His divine will in every circumstance, as you strive to put His will before your own and serve Him with all your being.

Gratitude Changes Lives

When you come to understand and believe that you are blessed beyond measure, your life will change. You will want to God at every juncture, and see the silver linings—the good– in everyone and every circumstance. That may sound like a tall order, but with God, all things are possible. Gratitude to God becomes a new way of life, as you seek His divine will in your life through reading scripture and praying more often and fervently for others. You may be more apt to grow in acceptance of health and relationship issues and whatever happens in your life; and find yourself far more prepared to live in God’s peace, joy and contentment, regardless of the adversity you face. Counting your blessings rather than disappointments, you will then be in a wonderful position to give God the glory He deserves in al things.

Being a Christian is not about being perfect, or better than anyone else. Rather, it is about growing in your relationship with the lover of your soul, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So the next time you feel like complaining about whatever befalls you, stop a minute and remind yourself of this: you are blessed beyond measure by a God who loves you profoundly, like no one else ever could!

© 2024    |   Adele M. Gill

About the Author

Adele M. Gill is a retired RN, certified Chaplain, freelance writer, award winning author of 6 books, and a recipient of the International Positive Change Podcast Award https://www.youtube.com/@adelemgill   She is also the founder/author of The Inspiration Café Blog.  Adele may be reached via email at: gilladelem@gmail.com.