Gratitude In Action
Australia Day is a day where we focus on what it means to be Australian and a day of celebration where we express our gratitude for the blessings we enjoy. We have a lot to be thankful for – freedom, wealth, technology, natural resources, families, world class health care and education, a vast and beautiful land.
Not surprisingly the bible, which has a lot to say about living well, makes the point that the best way to live is with an attitude of gratitude to the one who made it all. “Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). The danger of not being thankful is that we instead become filled with regret, with painful memories, with complaints, bitterness, and resentment, or with wishful thinking. Don't let that happen. Instead be someone who is quick to express gratitude.
I’d also suggest that gratitude is more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling. In the same passage, the bible says, “be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:15-16). The point is that the many good things we have in this country are not just for personal enjoyment. They also give us an opportunity that, if not used now, may be lost forever. It is the opportunity to invest ourselves, carefully and thoughtfully, in the good of this community and those around us, and potentially in our wider nation and the world in which we live.
How is this for a plan for 2019? Be quick to express gratitude and find an appropriate way to give back. And if you want to think more about how to living well, why not visit a local Church as well.
Neil Percival
Not surprisingly the bible, which has a lot to say about living well, makes the point that the best way to live is with an attitude of gratitude to the one who made it all. “Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). The danger of not being thankful is that we instead become filled with regret, with painful memories, with complaints, bitterness, and resentment, or with wishful thinking. Don't let that happen. Instead be someone who is quick to express gratitude.
I’d also suggest that gratitude is more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling. In the same passage, the bible says, “be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:15-16). The point is that the many good things we have in this country are not just for personal enjoyment. They also give us an opportunity that, if not used now, may be lost forever. It is the opportunity to invest ourselves, carefully and thoughtfully, in the good of this community and those around us, and potentially in our wider nation and the world in which we live.
How is this for a plan for 2019? Be quick to express gratitude and find an appropriate way to give back. And if you want to think more about how to living well, why not visit a local Church as well.
Neil Percival