HOW TO WIN WITH GRATITUDE

Danielle woke up making some grumbling sounds. I told her, “Say I am joyful”. She insisted that she was not going to say it. I smiled and said to her, “Your birthday is coming and your bicycle is coming also”.

She then said, “I am joyful and you will buy my biscuit and bicycle also”. I had a good laugh. But I told her that joy is a fruit of the Spirit and not just about circumstances.

At that moment, it struck me again that ingratitude darkens our mind. As long as you are ungrateful, you will not see what the Lord has done or what the Lord is doing.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Romans 1:21 NLT

What are the results of ingratitude?

First, you will begin to think up foolish ideas. You will begin to compare yourself with others and joy is short-changed. You may even think of killing yourself. You may think that what you are doing does not make any sense at all.

Second, your mind becomes darkened. There is a gloom all over you. Your mind is not enlightened to see what the Lord has done or is doing.

A Christian writer once said that if you take money from a man, you can hinder him. But if you take faith and hope from a man, you will stop him. A darkened mind cannot receive inspiration from God.

Third, ingratitude leads to confusion. Clarity is lost. Paul told us that we must learn to allow the glory of the Lord manifest in the midst of situations that are outside our circle of influence and control. Do not start brooding over what you have no physical power to overcome at the moment. Turn it over to God in thanksgiving.

If that supervisor is frustrating your project work, stay calm and refuse to lose the art and heart of gratitude. If the job is not paying you as much as you think, do not shut down your sense of gratitude. If you do, you will begin to misbehave on the job and you would not give your best. That way, you have shut out the keys that lead to promotion (and better open doors).

Where joy stops, clarity stops and confusion takes over. You will not see the big picture of what the Lord is bringing to you.

There will be no recovery and victory until you learn and master how to strengthen yourself in the Lord like David. Master the art of singing to the Lord on your own in the middle of tough times- that is how we win!