Jan 31st, 2021: Gratitude Brings Life

 


Sometimes I am ticked off by cyclists who don't observe traffic laws and then get ticked at me because I almost hit them. Some of these folks seem to disregard any rules and believe that it is my job to keep them safe at all times. I ride my bike downtown to work sometimes, and I am aware of the risks involved in doing so. I watch out for cars as much as they need to watch out for me.

It is interesting how fast we can consider our privilege as our right. Not too long ago, we hardly had any special lanes for bikes in Calgary. Now we have one of the most comprehensive bike path networks for big cities in Canada. It is a special privilege. Yet, some people treat it as if that is their God-given right.

Gratitude is absent here. A society without gratitude is one that is in decline. A group of people who doesn't demonstrate any gratitude is one with tons of human strife and struggles. A church without gratitude is one that lives in slavery to its version of the gospel. A nation that conducts itself without gratitude will be deeply divided. A family without gratitude has no appreciation for its history. It also has no understanding of where it would like to go.

Gratitude tends to make us better. It builds confidence and energy, and we can all move forward. Gratitude expresses beauty when everything else seems to communicate the opposite. Gratitude gathers us together while jealousy scatters us. Gratitude helps us to live closer to the heartbeat of God, so being alive is who we are.

Psalm 95:1-3

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation."

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

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