GRATITUDE TOWARDS GOD IS SHOWING GENEROSITY TOWARDS OTHERS.

Gratitude towards God is an innate understanding that every breath of air, drop of rain, the ray of sunlight, head of grain, and every streak of nature’s beauty are conscious and calculated gifts from God that reveal his love to sustain our lives.

Can you imagine waking up in the morning to realize that both the sun and moon are gone, staying on a long queue with your debit card to make a purchase of the air for the day? Just imagine how difficult it would have been for so many if feeding meant paying for each drop of rain that grows the plant, which becomes the meal we only get to pay for?

Whether or not those imaginations ignite a sense of a concept or a feeling of indebtedness, it is important to know that no matter what we do, we never can earn God’s gifts of life because it remains a gift. So, if you admit that the gifts are not by your efforts, then that might be a sign that you have gratitude.

What is Gratitude?

Gratitude is coined from the Latin word 'gratus,' and it is the ability to possess a remarkable degree of appreciation for a certain thing, place, or person. Gratitude doesn't stop at realizing how much something worth or how valuable something is; rather, it extends to the attitude or effort put in place to prove that something is indeed valuable.

Naturally, gratitude is often and quickly recognized as the ability to thank you after being gifted with something. But in the real sense, gratitude is a sign of an inner emotion of generosity of appreciation that is embedded in the makeup of an individual. It is manifested through a symptom that is commonly perceived as thank you.

Gratitude is a positive default state of being undeserving of something, whether tangible or intangible. It naturally influences the mind of the identifier, thus qualifying the person who shows it for something larger, including a benefactor, an opportunity, or a blessing.

What is Gratitude to God?

Making out a picture of gratitude from the following explanations above, gratitude to God would simply mean a natural and effortless manifestation of positive indebtedness. Obviously, it would convey an inner emotion of generosity of appreciation and a default state of being self-undeserving to God for his gifts of life to us and many other blessings.

Gratitude towards God is not a new happening or new requirement of modern-day children of God. Gratitude in itself is a special gift bequeathed by God to people with the right heart and those deserving of it. With God’s genuine purpose of not just seeing whether we take the things we receive for granted, gratitude in a unique way reveals God’s gift of love that enables us to draw nearer to him.

Some writers of the Bible encouraged the spirit of gratitude towards God. For example, the psalmist in Psalm 100:4 expressed, “…Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” In the same manner, Paul’s address to the Ephesians is another encouragement of gratitude towards God. In Ephesians 5:20, he said, "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Gratitude to God by Showing Generosity to Others

Showing gratitude towards God involves many unbelievable ways, including being generous to others. Impressively, God’s words encourage showing generosity to others by attaching a remarkable reward to generous acts. The book of Acts 20:35 assures that "...It is more blessed to give than to receive." Showing generosity towards others could be as simple as:

· Starting with Something Little

A lot of people often think showing generosity to others means doing gigantic, neck-breaking alms. But That alone cannot be very encouraging. Worthy to note is that little things are unbelievably important when they are brought together. In essence, giving away $1 shouldn't bring about any embarrassment. After all, there are countless charities online that you can make your $1 to without ever crossing paths with them to know who recorded your $1 donation.

· Investing your time in people

People often think being generous is monetary inclined, but it goes beyond that. Instead, it is one of the most unbelievable ways of showing generosity to others. Time is equivalent to money or even more valuable than money. The people we spend quality time with can make them feel amazingly better. In short, rubbing shoulders with the poor may change your impression of them forever. Since homeless shelters accept volunteering, volunteering to offer remarkable service at no cost might be all you need.

· Sharing God’s words of Encouragement with People

This way of showing generosity to others is another way of spending your time instead of money. This might sound insignificant or insufficient to so many people, but remember that time is more valuable than money; once it is expended, no amount of money can repurchase it. Rather than sulking or worrying about this type of generosity, preparing by reading the Bible to find out verses that can invigorate people's spirit and boost people's hope in this hopeless world goes a long way.

· Preaching the Good News and Salvation

Showing generosity to others by preaching to them is the height of gratitude to God. Using this method offers your appreciation to God for his gift of salvation through his ransom sacrifice, which means your everlasting life. Telling others about this special gift in such a way that it becomes special to them, and it moves them to repent of their sins to accept the ransom sacrifice becomes amazing! It simply means you’ve won a soul for God.

· CONCLUSION

Finally, gratitude is a social emotion that signals how we identify the things someone has done for us. But beyond that, gratitude is about being thankful. And being grateful, in turn, is a powerful gift from God that enables us to draw nearer to God and to reach out to people through our acts of generosity.