“Walking in Conscious Gratitude”

Joyce Meyer, a well-known pastor, once mentioned at the beginning of her preaching, “We need to develop that attitude of ‘What do we have if God doesn’t help us? What are we except for the Grace of God?’”

We are a blessed people! We are loved by our Father in Heaven no matter what we do and no matter who we are. Even if we are undeserving, He gives us good things, good gifts, valuable gifts - as valuable as that of His own Son, Jesus, to die on the cross that we may live; that we may have life to the fullest.

When we sin, we forget about all these things. We wallow in sin even if we consciously know it is not right! But despite of our pretentious mindlessness, our Father continues to love us, bless us, give us good gifts, and take care of us. He still catches us when we fall and He still hears us when we call. We ought to be thankful!

We read in Luke how Jesus healed the ten lepers who cried out to Him as He passed by. But among the ten who were made whole, only one remembered to return to Jesus and thank Him.

Let us stop and ponder for a while. Are we like the nine lepers who enjoyed God’s goodness and mercy but did not remember to go back and thank Him? We have so much to be thankful for! As we open our eyes each morning we behold another day: the bright sun shining on everything, big and small; the beautiful trees with their glistening leaves swaying to the rhythm of the cool breeze; the butterflies and the flowers; all orchestrated and artistically painted for us to see and enjoy everyday! How great is our God!

What have we done to deserve all these things?

Most of the time we take our Father for granted. Because of all the hustle and bustle of our daily jobs and routines, we fail to see the beauty and real meaning of the life our Father has offered. Like the nine lepers who were so amazed seeing themselves healed of leprosy, we forgot to thank Jesus.

We fail to see that life is not all about jobs, money, and riches. It is not all about fame and glory.

When you woke up this morning, did you thank God that you woke up to a brand new day, breathing, healthy, and free from sickness? Did you remember to thank Him for the angels that protect our children wherever they go and keep them away from the wiles of the enemy? Did you thank Him for your spouse? Did you pray for your brothers and sisters in church who most need our intercession?

God loves us, though we are so undeserving. Every good gift comes from above! So let us celebrate each day the goodness of our Father! Let us always be unfeignedly thankful!