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Getting Good at Gratitude

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talking about God's goodness helps people understand how much they need him. It helps them recognize how empty their lives are without him. It helps them see how far they have missed the mark of his righteousness. Talking about the goodness of God opens the door for the Holy Spirit to convict the heart of the non-Christian -- and that's his job, not ours.

 

 

GETTING GOOD AT GRATITUDE
Psalm 71:17-24

 

"If you're not grateful, you're not rich -- no matter how much you have." Sir John Templeton

 

Greed controls many with an attitude that guides one to see life as competition focused on what others have.

 

Grumbling comes naturally - gratitude takes effort.

 

1. Start Being Grateful For Who You Are.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous -- and how well I know it. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! Psalm 139:13-17 NLT

 

You have been with me from birth; from my mother's womb you have cared for me. Psalms 71:6 (NLT)

 

"It is difficult to make a man miserable when he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him." Abraham Lincoln

 

2. Remember What God Has Done For You.

Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. James 1:17 NKJV

 

All day long I will proclaim your saving power, for I am overwhelmed by how much you have done for me. Psalms 71:15 (NLT)

 

Barbara Ann Kipfer as a teen started a list of favorite things and later published them as 14,000 Things to Be Happy About.

 

At the end of each day focus on the good things God brought your way during the past 24 hours.

 

3. Practice Living In the Moment

Choosing to live in the moment is a step of faith so begin to thank to God for His goodness in your life.

 

That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long. Psalms 71:8 NLT

 

4. Tell Others About The Goodness Of God.

There is more to being a witness than telling a person how bad they are.

 

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16 (NIV)

 

I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, for I am overwhelmed by how much you have done for me...I will tell everyone that you alone are just and good...I have constantly told others about the wonderful things you do. Psalms 71:15-17 (NLT)

 

You can't go wrong talking about the goodness of God - it keeps gratitude going.

 

Make it your lifelong pursuit to develop the habit of gratitude every moment of every day.

 

With gratitude no matter how little you have your life can be rich, vibrant, and satisfying.