Gratitude - It Matters
Krystal Land © 2024…
When you’re thankful, it shows. How you are in private and how you are openly is a testament of gratitude. No one ever has to question if one is thankful. Thankfulness is seen, heard, and is evident in actions. Like love – and as gratitude is an attribute of love – it is a verb. It just does.
Gratitude is a powerful force. We give glory to the Lord when we walk in gratitude; it is the praise from our heart’s posture to our actions and the words from our lips that resound a thankful heart. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. – Psalm 9:1 How does gratitude affect others? Think about a tree and what it needs to flourish. When a tree is well watered, it grows and flourishes, right? Is water all it needs? The tree needs more than water; it also needs light and warmth. That’s how it is when we give thanks openly, as written in Psalm 9:1.
Gratitude is likened to love… Love withholds nothing. How would a married man or woman feel if when just the two of them, one was loving, but openly or when before others, they didn’t express affection or gratitude? The other would begin to wonder, “Why?” The Word compares a spouse as a “jewel in a crown”. A crown is worn openly, displayed quite boldly, and yet still protected. The other person would not feel like a jewel in the crown if love was never openly displayed, therefore it would be hard to act as a jewel in the crown. The opposite surely leads to a disaster... “crushed bones”, as the opposite, ungodly depicts. Be careful. Gratitude nourishes, yet the lack of, surely kills.
Looking at your salvation experience, how were you after that moment? Most people immediately start sharing their testimony. This is a true testament of salvation as we are called to carry the gospel (Mark 16:15 and many others). Likened to a light, we aren’t to hide our love for Jesus under a bushel, we are called to let it shine. The more you share your love for the Lord with others, the more you love Him, the closer to Him you feel, and the more you cultivate your relationship with Him.
Psalm 96:3 says, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” This verse urges us to declare God’s glory and marvelous deeds to all. We should not keep the wonders of God to ourselves but share His goodness with everyone we encounter, making known His love and faithfulness to all. We are called to be a living testimony. Testifying of God’s goodness is life-giving to oneself as well. The Word said that we are overcomers by the words of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). The Word of God matters. Your words matter. “The power of life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).” This includes words that go unsaid. Don’t allow the sin of silence to destroy what you should be speaking life about, and in doing so, even life into. Gratitude – It matters.
Before you go!
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