A Lifestyle of Gratitude

During the month of November, people everywhere seem to jump on the “bandwagon” of gratitude.  It has typically been labeled the month of thankfulness, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  However, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are commanded to live with thankful hearts each day.  Thankfulness is not just a once a day, thank you for the food, shelter and clothing, but an every moment, intentional mindset and lifestyle that continually dwells on the good gifts the Lord blesses us with each day.  

Praise and thanksgiving to God is shown all throughout Scripture. Psalm 118:1 says, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”  If you are a believer, the most amazing gift given to us that should drive us to thankfulness to our Lord each day is the gift of salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 2:4-5-But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved. The Lord chose us, while we were in sin, to be reconciled to himself through the blood of his Son Jesus Christ.  That alone should give us reason to praise every day!  We were once lost, but now we are found!  Every day is a new opportunity to dwell on the wonder of the cross and to be ever grateful that we were pulled from “the miry clay” and given the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

In order to cultivate a heart of gratitude we must first, dwell on the promises found in God’s word and let the Word penetrate our hearts.  Part of dwelling on God’s Word includes meditating on the Gospel. C.J. Mahaney, in his book, The Cross Centered Life, says, “If there’s anything in life we should be passionate about, it’s the Gospel.  And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others; I mean passionate in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life.”

Secondly, we can focus on God’s gifts to each of us and God’s gifts from others. James 1:17 says- Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

In her book, Choosing Gratitude, Nancy Leigh DeMoss offers ways to practically infuse gratitude into our daily lives:

1.        Each day, reflect on 5 things/blessings in which you are grateful. 

2.       Sing or listen to hymns or songs of thanksgiving.

3.       Write notes to people you are thankful for, and be specific about   what you are thankful for in their lives.

4.       Be vocal to others about the things you are thankful for.

5.       Focus on the blessings instead of complaining or being negative.

6.       Meditate on verses that express praise to the Lord.

If we continually do these things, our mindset will begin to change and we will begin to notice the difference in our hearts and attitudes.

Cultivating a heart of gratitude has several results. First, we have closer fellowship with the Lord.  Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, “Gratitude places us in close proximity to Christ, where we experience the fullness of his redeeming power and enjoy the blessing of His presence.” Our walk with the Lord becomes sweeter and sweeter as learn to bask in his blessings and thank him for his unmerited grace and goodness to us.

Second, we become the fragrant aroma of Christ to everyone we meet.  Others will see the Gospel displayed in our lives when we exude a grateful spirit.  It gives us opportunities to share what Christ has done for us. 

Third, we experience joy.  A thankful person exudes a joyful spirit.  They understand the goodness of our God and the grace he has poured out on their lives.  Praise is always on the lips of a grateful person and they express praise to those around them.  Our joy in the Lord is expanded and multiplied when we daily dwell on his goodness and praise him for what he has done in our lives, what he has saved us from, and how he continually leads, guides, and directs our steps, offering his love freely and pouring out his grace constantly.
 
Fourth, we grow in contentment.  Jodi Ware says, “Our contentment comes from a heart captured by God’s grace.  Contentment is being satisfied in God, His character, His works, and His ways.”  If we strive to praise the Giver of all good things and realize that He is the one who provides, gives, and takes away, we will be a fountain of thankfulness and will be a person of contentment. 

Fifth, we develop an attitude of humility. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  In this passage, Paul exhorts us to consider the needs of others ahead of our own.  When we live in gratitude, we are focused on others.  We forget about ourselves and we look to how we can bless others and encourage those around us with the love of Christ.  Henry Ward Beecher says, “A humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow.” When we live in humility, remembering where we were before Christ rescued us, and reflecting on where we are now because of his grace and the cross of Jesus Christ, we exhibit a heart that pours out gratitude. 

Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, “...choosing gratitude means choosing joy.  But that choice doesn't come without effort and intentionality.  It's a choice that requires constantly renewing my mind with the truth of God's Word, setting my heart to savor God and His gifts, and disciplining my tongue to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace-until a grateful spirit becomes my reflexive response to all of life." Make a decision today to choose joy, to make it part of every moment of every day, not just a one month or one day out of the year tradition.  Remember the command the Lord gives us to be thankful.  Be the kind of person that continually offers praise,that shows gratitude to the Lord, the one who saves and gives us hope for each day. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

31 Things

As I celebrate my 31st birthday, I thought I would share 31 things about myself...I have seen some other friends do this on blogs and thought it was such a fun idea:)  

1. I love Chai tea.  It is my favorite drink to get at Starbucks.

2. I started playing soccer when I was 9 years old and played until I was 15. 

3. I have traveled to five continents and 9 countries-Brazil, Japan, China, Hungary, Czech Republic, Scotland, England, Australia, and Canada.  

4. I played clarinet from age 10 to age 23.  I still play periodically, but those were the years I was actively involved in lessons, ensembles, and marching band.

5. I was a drum major for my high school marching band.  That year our theme was Prince of Egypt.  We won all three of our competitions that year with that show.  The parting of the Red Sea was quite a display and God honoring.  

6. I was born in Orlando, Florida.

7. When I was young, I loved the color purple so much that I got the nickname, Porpor.  Purple is still my favorite color.

8. My dad is the only one who has a nickname for me-Shelwitt.  He called me it all growing up; however, he doesn't do it much anymore.

9. The first car I drove was an old, blue, Ford pickup truck.  It got me back and forth, but I do have to confess that I was embarrassed to drive it sometimes.  

10.  I love decorating-Lately, I have gotten a lot of inspiration from Pinterest.

 11. In 2006, I woke up one morning in a lot of pain, passed out and fell back into the sliding glass door.  Thankfully, I did not get hurt; however, after trying to help me to the bathroom, Michael said I passed out two more times.  Needless to say, an ambulance was called, I ended up in the emergency room where I waited hours until they discovered I had a ruptured cyst and was bleeding internally.  It took a week to fully recover, but thankfully, I was okay. 

12. One night, when I was by myself, Dr. Albert Mohler and Dan Dumas stopped by my Springdale apartment.  Dr. Mohler said he wanted to see who lived in the apartment that he and his wife, Mary, had lived in when they first started seminary at Southern.  It was definitely a memorable moment.

13.  When I was 8, my parents told me we were moving from Orlando to Fayetteville, GA.  I was so upset that I asked my dad if I could sing the song “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus” in church.  At this point, my family was leaving Aloma Baptist Church. It was my way of coping.  I ended up loving Fayetteville and ended up back in Orlando for college, a great example of God’s sovereignty.

14. On our 2^nd anniversary, my husband surprised me with a trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. 

15.  During the summer of 2007, my husband and I lived in Manchester, New Hampshire so he could participate in a preaching internship in the New England area. 

16. I met my husband, Michael, through the Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) in college.  Mutual friends said we should meet and talk because Michael had gone on a mission trip to Australia and I was about to go on the same trip the next year. 

17.  I participated in Bible Drill from the time I was in fourth grade until 9^th grade.  

18.  I have walked on the Great Wall of China.

19.  I have gone on a river boat down the Amazon River and seen animals native to the Amazon.

20.  I have seen kangaroos in the wild.

21.  My favorite famous person right now is Mitt Romney.

22. When I was in Japan, I attended a buffet style dinner with Japanese students. I was so hungry that I started eating what I thought was chicken nuggets, but found out later, it was squid. Surprisingly, they were pretty good!

23.  I have tried octopus, but would not recommend it.  Too chewy!

24.  I have had the privilege of staying in the homes of Japanese people.  They were extremely hospitable, friendly and made us huge meals.  One morning for breakfast, I was served hot soup and raw salmon.

25.  I enjoy watching Fox and Friends in the mornings.

26. I have been snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. 

27. I love Jane Austen books and movies.  Pride and Prejudice is my favorite. 

28. During one BCM formal in college, Michael and I dressed up as The Crocodile Hunter and his wife.  Michael carried around a 6 foot blow up crocodile and wrestled it to the ground in front of the entire crowd.  Fun times!

29. On our first date, Michael and I ate Mexican at Maria Bonita’s, went on a walk around Lake Eola in Orlando, and watched Finding Nemo.

30. I worked at Dunkin Donuts during high school.  Lots of tasty treats and drinks!

31. Michael and I love watching Downton Abbey together!  We can’t wait for Season 3 to come out in January!