Traveling With Gratitude
By Pastor Ben

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.”        (1 Corinthians 1:4)

Bickering is par for the course when you’re traveling on a family vacation. Kids become impatient, crabby, and frustrated. Even adults can be overheard saying, “I can’t spend another minute in that car!” For many of us, fighting, bickering, and anger combine in a go-to response in trying situations. An attitude of gratitude? Not so much.

Do any of these sound familiar?

Loud sighs and obvious eye rolls wile waiting in line at the Post Office.
Complaints about your non-existent raise at work.
A “not my kid!” Reaction to a phone call from your child’s teacher.

Gratitude doesn’t come easy for us, and we’re not the only ones. Remember God’s chosen people, Israel? They grumbled when they found themselves just steps away from the blessings of the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1-4). The prodigal son in his early days? A reckless, greedy jerk (Luke 15:11-13). The 10 lepers healed by Jesus? Only 1 said thanks (Luke 17:11-19).
Even though our gratitude never matches the magnitude of our blessings, God keeps on giving. When we’re at our worst — spiteful, and thinking we deserve more than we’re getting — God is still there, pouring down His blessings like rain. He sent th ultimate blessing in His only Son, Jesus:

“For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person . . . But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”        (Romans 5:6-8)

Though we are ungrateful, though we often display ugly attitudes, our Lord is always ready to forgive. In infinite love and mercy, Jesus covers us in His very own righteousness!
A million songs of praise would never be enough to express our gratitude for the gift of our Savior, but don’t let that stop you! Thank your Travel Guide, Jesus — in every moment. Thank Him for His grace, forgiveness, and salvation.

As the Holy Spirit cultivates an attitude of gratitude in your life, you’ll discover easily overlooked blessings. Then, your thanksgiving will begin to multiply. Your gratitude will flow steadily to your Savior and spill over into responses of thanksgiving to those around you.

PRAYER STARTER:
Holy Spirit, fill my heart with gratitude . . .