TWO THINGS OUR WORLD NEEDS

 

January 31, 2024



Ephesians 5:19b-20

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.





I was thinking after yesterday's devotion on generosity how one of the best triggers for generosity is gratitude. When we are thankful, we generally are in the frame of mind to want to share the blessings with others.

Who would have thought that two little words could have so much influence for change, hope and transformation! "Thank you" may just be two of the most powerful words in our vocabulary because they unlock hope and positivity even in the most complex situations, two things our world desperately needs.

We live in a world where it's all too easy to be overwhelmed by difficulties, our personal challenges, or the news of a world that is wounded, broken, limping along, crying out in desperation for help. Thankfulness produces in us a gratitude for what we do have. The more we practice an attitude of gratefulness, the more I believe God inspires us to be generous and to live for hope, choosing to defy the pessimistic and discouraging messages we frequently hear, and believe that a better today and tomorrow is possible.

Dot Tyler tweeted every day for two years something that she was thankful for. She said she started to do it because life had become tough, and she was finding it harder to keep a generous spirit. Her thinking was by engaging in this activity it would connect her more intimately with God and help her to be thankful even on the most ordinary of days. Dot writes, “what I found was the habit of thankfulness led me to thinking of others more, being generous with my words and encouragement of others helped me to see glimpses of hope every day.”

Today's not just another day; today is an important opportunity to invest in thankfulness and to be pursuers of hope and positivity. With this in mind let us join together to spread some gratitude.

Write an update on social media with #ThankfulTodayfor (you fill in the blank).

Perhaps something else you could do instead of the social media posting would be to take some post it notes, jot down some things that you're thankful for today and attach them to your refrigerator or bathroom mirror or on your vehicles dash just so you take notice of reasons for thanks.

Maybe another option would be to send someone a quick text message or e-mail letting them know why you're thankful for them.

How about doing something really strange and write an old-fashioned thank you note drop it off in a friend’s mailbox or better yet actually mail it to them. I know I'm stretching things aren't I.

Another option might be to write a thank you note to someone different every day this week, or longer if you choose. I read of someone who during the 40 days of lent sent a different thank you note each of those 40 days to 40 separate individuals.

Just some ideas to spread some gratitude and generosity around.