For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave him thanks.
Romans 1:21
Too often when we think of the spiritual life we think of great Christians and their exploits – prayers, fasting, enduring temptation, carrying the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and the like. But for the most part their lives, like ours, are composed of the sum total of the little things we do on a daily basis. “If you are faithful in little things,” said Jesus, “you will be faithful in large ones” (Luke 16:10).
Too often when we think of the spiritual life we think of great Christians and their exploits – prayers, fasting, enduring temptation, carrying the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and the like. But for the most part their lives, like ours, are composed of the sum total of the little things we do on a daily basis. “If you are faithful in little things,” said Jesus, “you will be faithful in large ones” (Luke 16:10).
One of the “little things” we too often neglect is gratitude.
Day by day God showers blessings upon us. His gifts of grace are innumerable, ranging from remarkable acts of providence to our daily bread and the gift of life itself.
Gratitude is how we show our appreciation for God’s lovingkindness. It’s our way of “blessing God” (Psalm 103). In addition, studies have shown that expressing gratitude has been linked to increased levels of happiness. Gratitude rebounds to the one giving thanks!
An excellent way to make sure we’re not neglecting this virtue is to make every day Thanksgiving. Take time out at the end of each day and ask yourself: what am I most grateful for today? Then show God how much you appreciate his gift by giving thanks from the bottom of your heart.
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