Present with God: In my Gratitude

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you." -I Thessalonians 5:18

Giving thanks to God in all circumstances produces in us an unconquerable daily practice of gratitude and presence with God.

This spiritual practice of gratitude is remarkably powerful. Gratitude allows us to fundamentally reorient our responses to events, emotions, and individuals. When we intentionally seek to receive every moment as a gift from God, we have a profoundly different experience of the world.

The mantra that leads us to gratitude is to simply ask ourselves, "what is the gift I am receiving from God in this?" If we see each event, emotion, and individual as a gift we are receiving from the God who we know to be loving and gracious and kind, we are able to see the good in all things.

This lifestyle of divine gratitude releases us from simply reacting to negative events, emotions, and individuals and frees us to respond and receive them.

Seeing all people as gift-bringers will change our attitude towards our most difficult relationships. Instead of seeing these people as the enemy of our joy or peace or freedom, we see them as God's agents. When we are intentionally present with God, we can see even the most frustrating relationships as gifts that God is giving us. We may see them as opportunities God is giving us to be patient and kind and gracious. We may see in the midst of the conflict and chaos of the relationship some hard truth that God is trying to present to us. We may see thru the hard and sharp edges the vulnerable and scared child of God that he sees. But none of that insight is possible unless we start from a place of gratitude and openness.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful and practical spiritual practices.

Be Present with God

Make some time to be present with God. Begin by meditating on the love, goodness, and kindness of God. Bring to him the area of your life where you are struggling with gratitude. Name the situation or concern or relationship where you need to reorient your attitude and see it as a gift from God. Ask God to give you wisdom and insight to see it as a gift directly from him. Ask God to reveal to you the good that he is intending to work in your life through this. Make some time to hear how he responds. Thank him for the way he has made you aware of his presence in this time.