This morning I started Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book: Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey To Joy. I’ve never considered myself an ungrateful person nor would I characterize myself as depressed. But, man oh man, this book is CONVICTING!!! The heart of the first few chapters is that our gratitude flows out of our relationship to Jesus and the abundance of grace we experience through Him. Without that, we don’t even know who we are thankful TO. (good point)

But she also tells how gratitude affects our joy and our walk with God. That without a heart of thanksgiving our life of “faith” denigrates to duty and religion rather than vibrant faith and joy.

By sheer willpower and effort, you may succeed at “gutting out” right responses, but your Christianity
(so-called) will be hollow, hard-edged and uninviting to others.

OUCH!!! I spent some time this morning thinking about this and looking inward to see if this is what characterizes my life. I know this: I do NOT want this to be the sum evaluation of my life!!!

She also talks about whining being the opposite of gratitude (and how this tends to be the culture norm today) and says:

…when we give in to whining, murmuring, and complaining, we end up on a destructive slide that ultimately
leads to bitterness and broken relationships.

I think these next few weeks will be times of introspection for me, evaluating the gratitude in my heart and actions and words. I’ll keep you posted.