Gratitude: An Expression of our Salvation

Gratitude: An Expression of our Salvation

Gratitude is a response to the sacrifice Jesus made and the life we now live because of it. Each day the sacrifice of Jesus is something we become insensitive to as days are planned, months go by and new years begin. Yet on those days people hear the gospel for the first time, believers bear good fruit and God is performing miracles. When we lose our gratitude but not our thankfulness, we lose the gracious praise for our salvation and instead simply recognize what our salvation has given us. 

It is important to give thanks for what we have been blessed with in the world but gratitude is a step beyond the haves/have nots. When we have nothing, we have our salvation. That is enough to sit at the feet of Jesus and give him all the glory and praise for the gift He freely gave us. Everyday we have our salvation, but do we have gratitude for this? Allow your gratitude to be a celebration of your salvation. The goal of gratitude is not necessary to remember the people, places and things you have but rather to remember who you belong to and what He has done for you. 

When we step into a posture of gratitude, it allows us to not take our salvation for granted. This posture of gratitude turns our eyes from the temporary worldly blessing to an eternal and loving God. As we practice having gratitude for our salvation, our understanding of the gift of salvation becomes a conscious gift that we do not take for granted. Our salvation is the ultimate gift from God! 

Psalm 50:23- “Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.” Are we giving thanks that honors who God is or are we giving thanks that honors what God is doing in our lives? It is important we take the time to praise God for his active role in our lives, but let’s not forget who our God is.

Here is a challenge for this week:Find a quiet place and take 10 minutes each day to remind yourself of the gospel story. Take time to thank Jesus for the sacrifice He made on the cross. Praise God for who He is. We have the ultimate gift, an eternal gift, a life giving gift! 

A prayer to take into your day: 

Dear heavenly father,

Thank you for your Son Jesus our Savior and for the gift of salvation. Thank you that you have provided a way for sinners to be reconciled back to you. There is no greater blessing that you could’ve given us. Thank you for the gift of life, I pray that my life is solely to glorify you. I love you and I need you this day and every day. I give you praise and thanks because you alone are worthy of it all. 

Amen.