DOD 23 - Monday July 17, 2017

Gratitude Makes All the Difference

Start by listening to this fantastic classic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq8VP9osGrg

One of my favorite bible stories is found in Luke 7:36-50. The song you just heard and this story tell of a sinful woman who, upon hearing Jesus was in town and eating at a Pharisee’s house, risked life, limb, and all form of human comfort to go and lavishly pour out an offering of praise at His feet simply for WHO HE WAS. The miracle of her healing and forgiveness hadn’t even happened yet. Interesting to note as you read that after she lavishly pours out her thanksgiving and praise, He responds to her faith filled act of worship by healing and forgiving her.

Ephesians 5:20 says this - “Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Seven Thoughts about Gratitude To Consider:

1. Gratitude is independent of our objective life circumstances - no matter what, you CAN be grateful.
2. Gratitude is a function of attention - your level of gratitude is directly connected to what or WHO you choose to focus on.
3. Entitlement precludes gratitude - you can’t expect to get something and still be grateful for it.
4. We often take for granted that which we receive on a regular basis - familiarity is an enemy of gratitude.
5. Gratitude can be cultivated through time spent with Jesus and sincere self-reflection - get alone with God and He will remind you why you can choose to be grateful.
6. Expressing gratitude, through words and deeds, enhances our experience of gratitude - often times, the way we speak and act will greatly impact our experience of gratitude.
7. Our deepest sense of gratitude comes through the Grace given by Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross, which carries with it the awareness that we have not earned, nor do we deserve anything that we've been given.

Max Lucado has this to say about Gratitude:

“The grateful heart is like a magnet sweeping over the day, collecting reasons for gratitude. A zillion diamonds sparkle against the velvet of your sky every night. Thank you, God. A miracle of muscles enables your eyes to read these words and your brain to process them. Thank you, God. Your lungs inhale and exhale eleven thousand liters of air every day. Your heart will beat about three billion times in your lifetime. Your brain is a veritable electric generator of power. Thank you, God.”

Questions to consider for this day and week?

8. Are you a person known for and marked by gratitude? Does it ooze out of you? Are others infected by it and lifted because of it?
9. What is robbing you of your gratitude today? One example sure to steal is comparison… what’s your example?
10. On what or where or who are you choosing to focus these days, and could that be contributing to how you feel about your level of gratitude?
11. How does a grateful heart combat the tactics of the enemy and the urges to act out and sin in whatever manner you find yourself struggling against?
12. What practical and intentional step can you take today to elevate your heart of gratitude to a new level?  
13. When is the last time you went back and remembered you moment of rescue and forgiveness and allowed the Lord to spend some time with you there for you to simply thank Him for who he is and what He’s done.

Men, let’s be the most grateful people on the planet today. Regardless of our circumstances, we have more than enough reason, and being infused with fresh gratitude could be just what your spirit and mind need to experience new levels of victory and intimacy with the Lord this week!

As usual, share your experience and insight from today on GroupME as you're able, and let's infect each other with a deeper sense of shared gratitude over what HE is doing in and through us all!