Cultivating Gratitude: Thankful, Grateful, Blessed
Thankful
1 Samuel 2:1
Thankful is reflecting the inner awareness of appreciation for the circumstances, people or posture of life itself. Gratitude begins in the heart. You feel it. In Hannah's surrender - she breaks forth with thanksgiving. Hannah's pain and disappointment make her thankfulness all the more significant. Thankfulness is not just based upon the current circumstances but in the confident provision of God. Even the stories of the pilgrims and their fist thanksgiving grew out of significant loss and pain. No doubt, her thanksgiving in chapter 2 is the eruption resulting from Samuel's birth - but her focus is on the goodness of God. And just after that prayer - she returns home - without Samuel. But not without God. Be thankful! Be thankful in your surrender!
Cultivate Gratitude: Thankful, Grateful, Blessed
Thankful
1 Samuel 2:1
- Thankful: attitude of the HEART, (internal)
- Grateful: way of LIFE, (external)
- Blessed: faith FOCUS, (eternal)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
How do you prepare your heart to be Thankful?
(#1) Begin in your PAIN
Three kinds of Pain: Disappointment, People, God
see Lamentations 3:15-25
(#2) Make your TURN
see 1 Samuel 1:7-8 and 1:17-18
see Philippians 4:4-8
This is the Turn: Fix your thoughts
(#3) Do your INVENTORY
PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS, JESUS
see Ephesians 3:14-21
see 1 Samuel 2:10
Series Information
The Champion Virtue of the Believer who has gone deeper is Gratitude. Gratitude is at the core of every Spirit filled, Christ follower. How could we ever be anything less than grateful? At its root, gratitude grows out of humility and it opposes pride. The believer who is truly growing deeper will manifest gratitude to a greater and greater degree. 2 Corinthians 4:15 speaks of God's grace coming to more and more people - and the result is great thanksgiving, overflowing thanksgiving. The longer you walk in the way - the more your gratitude should show.