An Attitude of Gratitude Part 2

Posted by Paula White - Thu, December 03, 2009 at 09:07 PM

Click here to download the sermon notes for “An Attitude of Gratitude Part 2”.

What you appreciate, appreciates… When you learn to appreciate more of what you already have, you will find yourself having more to appreciate.

Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Faithful = (Greek) trustworthy, trustful

Matthew 25:28-29 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

I. What You Appreciate, Appreciates
a. According to the determining factor to having “abundance” is trustful or trustworthy
i. You can be trusted
ii. So is abundance is given to a vessel of “trust”, the implication is = “I am responsible for, and care for what I carry, possess or contain, based on my perceived value”
b. When we depreciate something, we devalue or diminish its worth
c. When we appreciate something or someone we give value with approval and praise
i. When we appreciate things, we “mean” to increase their worth
d. It’s impossible to feel grateful for something or someone that we do not value

Proverbs 31:10-11 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil

i. Gratitude = the feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
1. etymology = thankful and pleasing
2. Root = “gratus” or “grace”
3. God’s favor or help
a. Pleasing
b. Quality
c. Favor
d. Good will
e. Agreeable
f. It’s pie-base, giver meaning
i. To praise
ii. To welcome
iii. To sing
iv. To announce

ii. So being grateful is really to “praise”, to “welcome” and to “announce”
1. The only way I can praise or have an attitude of gratitude in all things, is by His grace
a. Kindness and favor
2. Therefore, without grace I cannot truly be appreciative and thankful
3. So when I am gracious…I am grateful
a. “enjoying favor”

II. Look for What is Right and Appreciate It
a. The word “appreciate” has several meanings
i. To be thankful or show gratitude
ii. To raise or increase in value
1. Think of everything you criticize regularly and you will see where you have failed to appreciate or find value
2. The moment you participate in the “depreciation” process (you stop valuing) and that is the moment you block your ability to experience gratefulness and ultimately abundance
b. The Law of Recognition
i. What you don’t recognize will eventually exit your life
ii. What you celebrate, appreciates
iii. Anything unrecognized remains uncelebrated
1. a gift
2. a miracle
3. a person
iv. What you respect, you attract
1. You can’t conquer what you don’t confront, and you can’t confront what you don’t identify
2. Familiarity can be fatal
a. It’s where you begin to take things for granted
b. It’s when you go through life unaware of the multitudes of blessings and gifts that are here each and every moment –

You must break any “entitlement fallacy” that you are “owed” something in life and begin to change an attitude of ingratitude by imagining how empty your life would be without the blessings of God given to you

3. Steps
a. Remind yourself that there are no ordinary moments
i. Resolve to cherish each and every day of your life
ii. Awareness causes you to embrace your life journey with gratitude, so how you travel your path is more important then reaching your ultimate destination
b. Complaining (obstacles)
i. Complainers remain and praisers get raised
ii. The complainer always feels shortchanged, deprived and picked on in life
iii. They consequently becomes envious and bitter towards those who seemed to have been blessed with what’s missing in their own life
iv. They suffer with secret resentment
1. Hannah and Pinninah (classic example)
a. Her blessing was salt in the wound of Hannah’s failure
c. Finding Fault = being judgmental
i. Gratitude is rooted in grace
ii. When grace is your case, you are “non judgmental
1. of yourself
2. of others
3. of events
4. of situations

Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

You must extend yourself and others the same love and mercy that God extended to you…

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved

III. Forgiveness
a. I must live the same patterns and practices of Jesus (to be non judgmental) and practice forgiveness
b. By walking in forgiveness you relieve yourself the burden of carrying the hurt, anger pain, isolation, and all that occurred as the result of an “act” against you

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive he who is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us…”
– Martin Luther King Jr.

c. Once you make compassion a higher priority then judgment, it makes sense to forgive it
i. So to be a person of non judgment means to be a person of grace
1. This doesn’t mean you have compromise and no conviction
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
ii. Fault finding is not a matter of what you observe in your world but when you choose a critical or angry point of view
1. Its what you do with what you see

IV. Cultivating and Attitude of Gratitude
a. Develop an awareness of yourself as a recipient, not a victim
b. Say, “Thank you”
c. Tell those around you how much you appreciate them
d. Cut off complaining and criticizing
e. Change your way of thinking to powerful and positive

Remember, it’s the nature of thought to increase. The more your thoughts center on what is missing, the more deficient you will feel…

An Attitude of Gratitude Part 2

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