School of Gratitude

Right before the miracle of the loaves and fish a lesson was taught that is often overshadowed by the magnanimity of what followed.

“Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.” John‬ ‭6:11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I hope you saw it. He took the insufficient provision and gave thanks to God for it.

As a pastor I fall short of this so often. I often have my eye fixed on the miracle that could follow that I miss the chance of expressing gratitude for what God has already provided.

For example, I may preach and teach my heart out, and the response may be that someone's thinking has changed juuuuuuust a little bit. Well, in my mind, I still expect the Lord to act with me as he did with Peter on the day of Pentecost. It's fine to have that expectation (indeed, it's recommended!), but it must be tempered by grace, humility and gratitude.

What Jesus did before the breaking of the loaves and fish teaches me to always look for the point of gratitude, and offer it up to the Lord with a thankful heart. That will cause ones outlook on life to switch from being negative to positive. It also invites abundance.

When gratitude is the normal response of ones heart, God is pleased to bestow more gifts upon them. The reason for this is because a grateful heart knows that what they have received is a gift, and not something they have worked up on their own. A grateful heart always acknowledges the giver. A person with a grateful heart becomes the kind of person who can handle more, instead of being corrupted by it. Therefore, when the small provision of bread and fish was distributed, it became more than enough.

I believe that sometimes gratitude is the missing ingredient to really experiencing the fullness of God. So I've begun to challenge myself to become an honor roll student in Jesus' School of Gratitude. When I feel the complaint rising up, I turn it into an opportunity for thanksgiving.

Recently I was struggling with words to preach for a sermon. I normally preach about 25-30 minutes, but only had 4 minutes worth prepared. For some reason I couldn't focus or hear the Lord leading me any further. As the deadline approached (this was only hours before preaching) the complaints entered my mind and I began to get frustrated. I began thinking about how busy the week was, and everything else that kept me from preparing like I usually do...

Then I remembered Jesus. I prayed, "Father, I thank you for the two paragraphs you've given me for this sermon. It is a privilege to be guided by your Spirit as I am preparing, it is also an honor to get to stand up before your people and proclaim your Gospel."

I tell you, it is a wonderful alternative to viewing everything from a negative perspective that always sees what's missing, instead of what God has already provided.

I commend this practice to you as well. Give thanks with a grateful heart!