A long time ago, two children ran to meet me to ask for candies. I happily gave each a dollar to purchase chocolates from the grocery store.

They both went to purchase it, but only one of them returned to thank me for it. I was so moved by the gratitude of the grateful little child that I gave her an extra dollar.

This incidence taught me that if humans could be moved by gratitude from whoever they help, what about God.

I found my answer in Luke 17:14-15;

“And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God” Luke 17:14-15.

In the aforementioned text, Jesus was speaking to ten lepers who were in need of healing. He sent them to the priests, miraculously, the ten lepers got healed of leprosy even before they got to the priest.

But of the ten, only one returned to give thanks to Jesus.

From this passage, we learn that,

– Gratitude is recognition and acknowledgement of what God has done.

Only one leper realized he was healed and he recognized the Christ was the source of the healing. A grateful Saint will always attribute his blessings to the hand of God and not the work of luck.

Only ungrateful believers see the mercies of God upon their lives as sheer luck or fortune; the grateful ones always attribute it to God and they give Him the thanks deserving of it.

Thus, we learn that as believers we must be mindful to attribute both the little and big blessings we see in our lives to the Grace of God.

The Saint who has developed the habit of thanking God for even the common miracles such as breathing, seeing, comprehending etc, is a grateful Saint.

An ungrateful heart does not recognize and acknowledge what God has done. Jesus loves those who are always grateful.

Furthermore, in the account of the ten lepers, I observed that they were all healed, yet none had total wholeness other than the one who came to give thanks to Jesus. Don’t be like those who are waiting until God something gigantic before they acknowledge His grace and mercy.

Besides, gratitude perfects the working of God in our lives. It is a proof of faith. The proof of your faith in God is ability to give him thanks even though you feel he is not working.

GRATITUDE GIVES US INCOMPREHENSIBLE PEACE

Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

Philippians 4:7 “If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

The Bible tells us that praise and giving of thanks must go hand-in-hand. Prayer is asking for something to be done, while gratitude is appreciating God for that which He has done.

Paul tells us in Philippians that when we do this, the peace of God that passes all understanding shall be released into our hearts.

This peace is the assurance of God’s help even in times of difficulty. A Saint who knows how to show gratitude never lack this peace. Therefore, in a world of turmoil and confusion, let us endeavor to constantly glorify the name of our God; this will solidify in our souls the inner assurance that we shall be saved from all evil.

GRATITUDE STRENGTHENS FAITH

Giving thanks in the midst of turmoil is one of the most difficult duties of a Saint – yet, it is the highest expression of faith. In Psalm 34:3, we see that praise magnifies God. This doesn’t mean it makes God bigger or stronger; rather, praise and giving of thanks makes God more real in our troubles.

Every time we give thanks to God, we make more visible in our lives. When God is seen, faith is strengthened; therefore, let us endeavor to live a life of gratitude and thanksgiving so that our faith will stand strong in the midst of turmoils.

GRATITUDE IMPROVES OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING

One who pays more attention to the negative occurrences than to the miracles of God in his life will certainly wallow in sadness and depression; whereas a saint who knows how to appreciate God for the daily miracles will always be happy. The habit of giving thanks to God in all situations inspires one’s soul.

Thus, give thanks when you wake up in the morning; give thanks for the food you eat; give thanks for your breath; give thanks for your family. Dear saint, live a life of gratitude and surely, you will experience an overflow of divine peace.

Even in turmoil?

Yes. We are to live a life of gratitude to God even in turmoil because we believe that someday it will be over. When we are persecuted, we give thanks for the privilege to be identified and scorned at as children of God. When we are in lack, we express gratitude that though there may be no food to eat, yet our soul is nourished with the graces of God daily.

This is the life of the children of God, folks, and we are to live it to its fullness!

This article was written by GreenHills Emmanuel