give thanks...or not

So, I have been thinking a little bit about some simple little things that could potentially change the world. Things like manners...being servant minded... and gratitude. It just seems like these easy little things are the stumbling blocks we frequently are tripping over. Gratitude is defined as the state of being thankful but even more importantly it is the backbone of the Christian life and our witness to others. We should live in...practice...and reflect...extreme gratitude at all times...but, we forget...a lot. I have ofter wondered why people just cannot express gratitude in the face of overwhelming generosity both from God and others. I have personally witnessed ingratitude so many times from those who should know better. We all slip...we all fall down...but to habitually live a life with a sense of entitlement and lack of graciousness is an insult to God who provides all that we have. It reflects fear and lack of walking in complete faith and surrender to God. It does, in fact, insult me when someone is rude or selfish or shows disrespect or when their lack of manners is painfully obvious. However, it does not change me when someone is living in total opposition to who they say they are and it is apparent to me and most everyone else. That one is between them and their God. Adopting gratitude shapes our attitudes...feelings...and thus our actions. When we withhold our gratitude and generosity from others we are, in effect, withholding it from God. Clearly, this is not what He intended and Jesus was very busy teaching us this all the time of His earthly ministry. Selfish, self serving, and egocentric and insecure people will not be blessed and are to be avoided. You simply cannot serve others and give even the simplest...thank you...when you live like this. It is a deception cleverly crafted by the devil and he allows you to operate within the confines of this mirage until it collapses in on you...and, trust me...it will. It will hurt, be painful...unexpected...and you will be mad. You will be really mad...at God, of course. You probably will never consider...even for a minute...that you had a hand in the resulting mess. Just as important as the necessity of gratitude being incorporated into an effective witness is, it is also very important to your overall sense of well being and self actualization. There have been numerous studies that have aptly demonstrated a strong relationship between being able to express gratitude and good mental health. It is perhaps too obvious a fact that selfish and self absorbed people cannot neither be thankful or giving and generous to others. I am totally convinced that someones reluctance to give is based on their fears and ignorance. We like to hold onto stuff and amass things and those things define who we are and we waste a lot of time guarding our pile. It is always both sobering and telling when there is a natural disaster, such as a tornado or flood, and everything material is lost in a blink of an eye. How do we respond? Do we mourn the loss of things or do we see this as an opportunity to refocus on what really is important? Jesus said,
 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What is it that you deem as valuable in your lives, because what you deem as valuable shows you where your heart is? Perhaps it is money and wealth or maybe it is power and the desire to be recognized as a leader or have fame or admiration of others or maybe it is looking religious and holy on the outside so that people think you have it together even when you don't. Maybe it is popularity and acceptance through nice clothes, your home, or all the trappings of that kind of life...cars, boats, etc. Maybe it is your perfect appearing family and how you have raised great kids in the right schools playing the right sports with the right friends. It's all temporary and can be gone literally in minutes...before you even have a chance to respond or react. Here, Jesus is calling us to change our minds from the temporary to the eternal, from the things that are passing by to the things that are permanent. And to get this you have to understand the whole concept of gratitude and thankfulness...no matter how much or little you have. A way to show that gratitude is to share with others who are less blessed than yourselves. It honors others...but more importantly it honors God. There is one thing that I know that is absolutely true and that is God blesses those who bless others...

“Our most valuable possessions are those which can be shared without lessening-those which, when shared, multiply. Our least valuable possessions, on the other hand, are those which, when divided, are diminished”.