REVIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
WE BELIEVE GRATITUDE IS THE SECRET TO LIVING A FULL LIFE AND THAT INGRATITUDE AS AT THE CORE OF ALL SIN.
It goes all the way back before mankind, to the fall of Lucifer. The Bible describes him as a spectacular, creative being (Ezekiel 28:12-15). All God gifted him with was not enough and his ungratefulness got him cast down to hell (Isaiah 14:12-15).
In the Garden of Eden, Satan sank his venom into the hearts of Adam and Eve. They had beauty, provision and companionship, but gave in to temptation, taking a bite of the apple in search of something other than what God had given. Ingratitude got them kicked out of paradise.
The consequences of ingratitude were cataclysmic.
All the pain and suffering inflicted on our world has its roots in ingratitude. Greed, lust, lying and addiction are an attempt to fill the emptiness of dissatisfaction. In this futile quest for more, we lose sight of the good, good life around us.
If paradise is lost with ingratitude, there is a way to regain the joy and fulfillment we long for—GRATITUDE!
Becoming a grateful person is one of the most emotionally satisfying, spiritually energizing things you can do.
We discover a new way of living in the words Jesus spoke at the last meal He shared with His followers:
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to them…
// LUKE 22:19
In the original language the word for “gave thanks” is the Greek word “eucharisteo.” It comes from two other Greek words, “charis” which means grace or gift and “chara” which means deep satisfying joy.
So in the original language, that small phrase would sound more like this: He took the bread and knew it to be a gift from God and He gave thanks and it produced deep, satisfying joy.
GRATITUDE PRODUCES JOY!
There is a rhythm in “eucharisteo” that can transform our lives:
• See the gifts of God’s grace.
• Give thanks.
• Experience deep, soul-satisfying joy.
JOY INCREASES AS YOU EXPRESS GRATITUDE. THERE IS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRATITUDE AND JOY. THERE IS ALSO A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRATITUDE AND TIME.
No matter how you measure it, we each get the same amount of time to spend each week:
• 168 hours
• 10,080 minutes
• 604,800 seconds
We think about time a lot:
• Time is of the essence!
• Ain’t nobody got time for that!
• Time flies!
• You do that all the time!
• You’re wasting your time!
• We are running out of time!
The Bible talks about time:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
// ECCLESIASTES 3:1
Time is a big deal and the big decision is what to do with the time we’ve been given. As Gandalf told Frodo in The Fellowship of the Ring, “ALL YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IS WHAT TO DO WITH THE TIME THAT IS GIVEN TO YOU.”
We want to get the most out of time and learn to live in the moment but it’s not easy. Regrets drag us back into the past. Worries about the future trap us in tomorrow. The hurried pace of life keeps us running, breathless. With everything we need to accomplish and all our to-do lists, we rush around skimming the surface and missing the satisfaction of living deeply aware in the present.
God calls himself I AM, not I was or I will be. I AM. Present tense. God is with us, in us and all around us but we miss it.
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it."
// GENESIS 28:16
SO WHAT IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR HASTY, SHALLOW, HURRIED LIVING? GRATITUDE!
When gratitude becomes your priority, something supernatural happens. It causes you to focus. In all the complexities of a shameful past, a worrisome future and a harried present, gratitude brings simplicity and perspective.
Watching for gifts and searching for wonders helps you live in the moment.
GRATITUDE SLOWS THE PACE OF LIFE DOWN TO THE PERFECT RHYTHM.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV
Genesis 28:16 ESV
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Mark 15, 16
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18
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Luke 1
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
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Luke 2, 3
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
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Luke 4, 5
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Luke 6, 7
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22
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Luke 8, 9
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23
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Luke 10, 11