At the beginning of the year, for all these purposes we usually do, I followed an Instagram inspiration for an exercise in joy: the jar of gratitude, a jar of glass, paper and pen. It was the simple recipe for what seemed to be a simple and super achievable habit (plus, of course, being “Instagramable”). But the result of my effort turned out to be a real medical certificate on the health of my heart. . Six months later and here is the fruit of my (in) gratitude: the almost empty glass jar, saved only by two small bills. The first two, the only two. Besides that, I only wrote one, it should sound like a joke, but it’s a tragedy.
First, it was justified by the lack of time, stop writing when counting the sleep minutes is a challenge, I was going to have to think of something good, but simple enough to fit on a small piece of paper. seconds of mental analysis and I gave up in the middle of thinking: “I’ll just say one sentence to thank you and that’s fine. “
- So it was justified by the failure itself.
- “Is it really empty?” So I do it again? And “Now it will seem that I don’t have that pot that stares at me at the head of the bed every day.
- The vacuum of the pot was the end and the middle of my failure.
But today, looking at this sad crystal echo, all I could think about was: ingratitude, I didn’t write because I didn’t have time, no, I stopped thanking because I didn’t think it was important enough to stop for a minute and write a note. I didn’t write because, in fact, I don’t think thanks are a compliment. I saw gratitude as a ‘duty’. Just as I couldn’t write, I also realized that my prayers were empty of contentment. In the calm water, on the autopilot of the “Lord, thank you for this day, amen”. God forbid.
Of course, I don’t need a glass jar to thank God, but if even my prayers have no sincere, constant, or spontaneous expressions of praise, then there is a sin to face. I needed a glass jar and six months of silence to realize that I don’t make God’s praise a priority in my heart, with or without a small jar of gratitude. Matthew Henry once said, “What we earn in prayer, we must praise. “And more than that, we still have all the things God gives us without even being aware of asking for them!There’s no excuse for ingratitude. There is no time to justify the lack of praise; If it is not us, the stones themselves will scream (Luke 19:40).
You see, God doesn’t need our praise. He has been glorified since eternity, before the foundation of the world. What we live like your children is the immeasurable privilege of recognizing your attributes and your great exploits manifested in both great things and the smallest details of our routine. God will receive praise anyway, he doesn’t need me or anyone else for that. But only your beloved children can praise you with joy.
As the theologian Ruy Marinho said in his article “The concept of gratitude in psalms”: Thus, for all that the Lord has done for you, for the impossibility of retribution for the blessing received, you only have to prostrate yourself before you. him in worship. But remember: gratitude to God is not just a “thank you. “It’s more like an abandoned heart. He is a panegyric, so listen to the Psalmist’s invitation:
Sing hymns to God the Lord, all the inhabitants of the earth!Love the Lord with joy and come and sing in his presence. Psalm 100. 1-2