Grace and Gratitude

Grace:

God’s unmerited favor or kindness, we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a gift freely given from God. 

That favor gives us access. It gives us the legal right to access the power of God for everything we need. None of us deserves access to God and His power (Rom. 3:10, 23). Because of sin, we all deserve an everlasting hell. Yet God has given us access to all He is and all He has.Everything Comes Through GraceWe are saved by grace. Without the grace—the favor—of God, we could never have access to the mercy of God.Gratitude:Gratitude is more than saying, "Thank you," when someone gives you something. Gratitude is more than an action which we decide to do by an act of will power.What it takes to turn the words, "thank you," into gratitude is the real genuine feeling of gratitude. Gratitude is a feeling that arises uncoerced in the heart. It cannot be willed into existence directly if it is not there. Gratitude is a form of delight.. And it is a good. It is part of happiness, not misery. Gratitude directed toward a person for giving you something good. It is a happiness that comes not merely from the gift, but from the act of giving. What in the world, in a world of certain loss, is grace? How do you know how to sift through a day, a life, and rightly read the graces, rightly ascertain the curses? What is good? What counts as grace? What is the heart of God?We have the opportunity to turn to God, the only begetter of grace, and there find all the fullness of joy.(source)
This Was Grace

 This is what we call the ugly-beautiful… d’un beau affreux. What the impressionist painter, Paul Gauguin, encapsulated as, “Le laid peut-etre beau…” Translation: The ugly can be beautiful…..(Get Closer to the Ugly)

The Link Between Grace and Gratitude

Gratitude flourishes in the sphere of grace.  

Since the feeling of gratitude usually rises in our hearts when someone does us an undeserved or uncalled-for favor, the expression of thanks will at any time communicate humility 

Therefore, gratitude wells up in the hearts of those who "receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness" (Romans 5:17). When the grace of Jesus penetrates the human heart, it rebounds back to God as gratitude. Christian gratitude is grace reflected back to God in the happiness we feel toward Jesus.A life that gives glory to God for his grace and a life of deepest gladness are always the same life. And what makes them one is gratitude.Source

#1767 - God's grace, which by all are justified freely through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). https://revphil2011.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/

#1772 - The anticipation of seeing our son over Thanksgiving weekend.
#1773 - Programs/websites online that tell the truth about current events, instead of the lies of media/government officials. "Living Waters", "InfoWars"

#1774 - Peace of mind through the Lord in a world of chaos and evil.

#1775 - For faith, hope, and love. Because those things are free, irreplaceable, and the only things that last a lifetime

#1776 - Running into and old friend/former teacher of my son.

#1777 - First snowfall of the year.

#1778 - The beauty of snow, stuck to the branches of trees and and morning fog on the lake.

#1775 - Safety on the road, driving on icy roads.

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving, full of God's grace and that you will find many things to be grateful to the Lord for this season.

Care to count the good, the bad, and the ugly-beautiful as all grace? Consider joining the Gratitude Community! Just jump in with your own counting!
How to begin your own 1000 Gift List ::: How Gratitude Can Change your Life

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