Faith Matters And Gratitude-if you are not grateful for what you have, where you are in life, you will never be fulfilled and peaceful… post updated 05-08-23
There is often too much that we have become accustomed to and take for granted in our everyday life here in this country. We become complacent, we are privileged, and often think we deserve even more than we have. This is not a negative note, it is merely to help us make a note to have gratitude for all the blessings of life.
Being thankful does not take a lot of work, or time. It merely takes a moment to step back, look at our surroundings, and see how blessed of a people we are.
One of my uncles used to say; “the reason we do not have more is that we are not thankful for what we have.” I have to concur with this statement. It seems our mindset is Lord, I want more. More earthly treasures, recognition, and please add more wealth.
God’s Mercy Endureth Forever
We know that no matter what we are lacking, God’s Mercy Endureth Forever. However, for Him to be more merciful to our needs, we need to be thankful for those things we already have.
When Jesus was giving instructions to His disciples and the multitude that followed Him in the mountains; He gave this instruction about praying…
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Matthew 6: 6-8
He knows our needs already, and He knows if we are asking for greater things than we do need. Yes, He is merciful, however, His instructions were the simple, but magnificent “Lord’s Prayer.”
Most of us can recall all the times we have called upon the Lord for more mercy. It is usually our human frailties that cause us to call on Him for mercy. If we decided to take the time to list all of the good things we have, our needs would probably be far less.
Our journey in Faith is to help us see that we are not forgetting the soul matters that keep us grounded. We need to be more compassionate, spread kindness, be happier, and be more thankful.
We All Have A Spiritual Self
We know that not everyone believes in spirituality the same. However, recent studies by professionals state that we all have a spiritual self. They state that most often we do not understand our spiritual self because we do not understand our carnal self. We do not seek to know ourselves better and therefore our spiritual self or our soul matters become non-existent.
Another important aspect of faith matters is of course “faith.” When we realize that we all have faith every day when we walk out of the house that we will return. You do not speak it, nor think about it per se, however, it is a step of faith.
You have faith that your family will have a great day, come home in the evening for family time, dinner, and a good night’s rest. All things we do are part of faith. Think about your day, think about your travels, and think about your life.
No one can keep themselves from random harm. We live in faith, this is our spiritual self we often do not know. The one, who protects us daily, watches our steps, and missteps, and this is none other than the Power of God.
We each have different lifestyles and different circumstances, and we share different insights into life. However, we are still individuals who share the basic human needs of love, respect, recognition, and hope.
Logic tells us that if we become more grateful, and appreciate what we have, our peace in life will become more substantial. We will have a calm knowing that all good things come to those who have faith.
Have A Grateful Heart…
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” unknown author
“Before we ask God for something, we should first list those things which
He has through His Mercy already given us.”
“Starting a day with thanksgiving will help us to see other people’s needs
and if it is no more than a smile, it can make another person’s day.” this author
“God’s mercy endureth forever, therefore we must be thankful for all of His mercies.”
