Devote yourselves to prayer,
being watchful and thankful. Colossians
4:2
“Let’s
say I interviewed ten people, asking each the same question — “Do you trust
God?” — and each answered, “Yes, I trust God,” but nine of the then actually
did not trust Him.
How would I find out which one of the ragamuffins was telling the truth? I
would videotape each of the ten lives for a month and then, after watching the
videos, pass judgment using this criterion: the person with an abiding spirit
of gratitude is the one who trusts God.
The
foremost quality of a trusting disciple is gratefulness. Gratitude arises
from the lived perception, evaluation, and acceptance of life as grace — as an
undeserved and unearned gift from the Father’s hand. Such recognition is
itself the work of grace, and acceptance of the gift is implicitly an
acknowledgement of the Giver. The grateful heart cries out in the morning,
“Thank you, Lord, for the gift of a new day.” And it continues to express its
gratitude as the blessings unfold.”
Brennan
Manning Ruthless Trust: The
Ragamuffin’s Path to God 24-25.
"And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of
Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your
lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing
your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions,
whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father
every step of the way." Colossians 3:16 (The Message).
"Give us grace today to love as You love. Help us to love with extravagance. Give us hope today for ourselves and others. Heal our hurts and our hearts today, So we can serve and help those around us. Help us to know that you are enough. And help us live today and everyday in thankfulness. For all You’ve done and for all You bless us with." -Lilly Lewin
