Wow, can you believe we are already to day four of the ABIDE series?
I have appreciated all your comments so far and am thankful to know these small steps are resonating with your hearts like they are mine. If you’ve missed any of the previous posts, here they are:
Acknowledge Him First
Bring Your Burdens to Him
Intentionally Slow Down
I’m excited to share today’s step because this is one you can definitely begin acting on RIGHT NOW.
We live in a complaining world. If you doubt that, please let me introduce you to Facebook. 🙂 But seriously, it’s easy for us to get into a cycle of focusing on the negative rather than seeing the positive.
Last night I was teaching from the Book of Acts and this verse really stood out to me:
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47
“They received their food with glad and generous hearts.”
Do I receive the daily gifts of God with a glad and generous heart? Do you?
Gratitude is far more than saying grace before meals or thank you for a gift. One definition I found explained gratitude as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
I love that last part … to return kindness. True gratitude goes beyond a feeling and into action. I think those believers in Acts had generous hearts because they were truly grateful. They knew all they had was the generous and undeserved gift of God and so what else could they do but share it with the same generosity He had shown.
True gratitude goes beyond a feeling and into action. #Abide2016 Share on XDeveloping a rhythm of gratitude requires action on our part.
This step toward abiding isn’t complex but it is hard. Developing a rhythm of gratitude in our lives requires an awareness of the undeserved generosity God has bestowed upon us. It’s recognizing we haven’t done anything to earn the good gifts He has given, especially our salvation. And because of that, we are moved to radical generosity for ourselves. Grateful people are generous people.
Today’s Challenge
Ann Voskamp has long championed keeping a record of the gifts God bestows. It’s a powerful thing to write down those moments and spaces and people and places we see God’s generosity in our lives. My challenge to you is for the next seven days to make your list of at least three things you are truly grateful for every day and as you see how God has been so generous to you, find a way every day to be generous to someone else. This isn’t just about material generosity, perhaps you can give your time or words of encouragement. The idea is to develop that rhythm of gratitude that moves you to generosity.
Developing a rhythm of gratitude in our lives is a discipline we must nurture. Being grateful and generous are well worth the effort as they mark us separate from the selfishness and ungratefulness of this world.
xo,
Teri Lynne
What is something you are deeply grateful for today?
Recommended Resources:
- One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp
- Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World by Emily P. Freeman {my review}
- Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch {pre-order now for the January 26, 2016 release}
Meghan says
Great post Teri Lynne! This is such a life giver and a wonderful habit to get in to.
Keeping a gratitude journal over the last year has changed my life! My attitude is better and my outlook is far more positive. I was a real pessimist by nature until I intentionally started a habit of writing a full A5 page of things I was grateful for, every night. It truly changed the way I look at life. I gave my close friends all gratitude journals for Christmas hoping and praying that they would begin this habit too.
Teri Lynne Underwood says
I Love this, Meghan! Thank you for sharing your story.
xo,
TL
Alice William says
Rightly said. Grateful people show generosity. I have started writing one thing I’m thankful each day and I can slowly see a rhythm developing. I’m not complaining as often as before 🙂
Teri Lynne Underwood says
It is true, isn’t it? I think we miss the connection sometimes … but as we grow in our gratitude, the generosity almost becomes second nature.