DEVELOP THE CULTURE OF GRATITUDE

While growing up as a young boy, my mum taught me to say "thank you" for almost everything done for us. Whenever she and dad pay our fees, buy clothes and the things we need, she demanded us to thank them. Though it is their duty to do those things and they never slacked in their responsibility towards us yet she taught us to be grateful at all times for every little thing. In fact, I cannot easily forget those days when she'll beat us for our wrongs and thereafter tell us to say "thank you" while tears was still in our eyes. Her philosophy is that discipline is a sign of love and it is a tool for moulding our lives. Hence, we should be grateful for the discipline and corrections received. Though it was painful to say "thank you" with tears and stinging pains from beatings but we did anyway. Thank God for where we are today. If we had not been raised in the way of the Lord, considering the environment where we grew, we may have become street urchins.

We must develop a culture of gratitude to God first. Inclusive in our gratitude to Him is to give Him all the glory knowing that He alone does wonders that no man can do. Often, we take lightly the daily blessings we receive because we think it is a right. Well, have you asked why others you know were denied of thesame "right"? Sleeping and waking alone is something worth thanking God for daily. I didn't appreciate the miracle of going and coming not until I had delays in Ghana in one of our outreaches due to health challenges. I was used to fixing a time for our trips and returning at the stipulated time. I didn't appreciate that not until the time things didn't work as planned. In our ministry, we now have a yearly culture of thanking God not only with our mouth but with our substance after we're done with all our programs for the year. Never underestimate the little things you enjoy daily, they are worth thanking God for. The Psalmist says, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits:", Psalm 103:2 KJV.

Be grateful to men who helped you in the course of the year. Show gratitude in words, cash and kind to that preacher who has consistently blessed your life through teaching and prayers. A sound preacher/ teacher of the word will not demand gratitude but don't take advantage of his simplicity to make it look as if he hasn't contributed positively to your life. Even if it is ordinary SMS saying "thank you for all you do" would go a long way. Nobody want to labour and not be acknowledged. It dampens the heart and kills motivation. How can someone labour over you in prayer, fasting and constant biblical counsel yet you act as if he's done nothing? The year is ending, in what ways have you appreciated your pastor? Those that have blessed my life have always received a "thank you" token from me even if it is little. I once gave a token to a bible teacher whose weekly teachings has blessed my life over time. I belong to his WhatsApp and telegram group where he post his weekly teachings. He reside in another state. I seized the opportunity of an occasion to see him. When I presented my little gift to him, hearing I came all the way from Lagos, he was touched. He told me he had wanted to stop his weekly teachings but I'm one of those motivating him to continue because he didn't know that the impact of his discipleship classes are far reaching. He didn't need my gift to survive because he's blessed by God but the atmosphere of gratitude around the little gift I presented went a long way telling him not to stop the good work. It is not a sin to be grateful to men as long as we're not giving them the glory that is due God.