I
read a book sometime back on Discovering the Power of Generosity. I found so much of what the
author had to say intriguing, that I thought I would share parts of it with you
over the next several days in my blog. I believe one of the
best tools in soul winning today is through generosity. Simple acts of
kindness. It can be through your time, helping out someone in need or just
listening to someone who is hurting. Regardless of the act itself, generosity
in all forms wins people. Is shows you care. And as a result, makes you a better person- someone who is aware of those around them and their needs. It forces you to look beyond your own needs and desires and look at the world around you.
One thing that
the author brought out was that before you can really focus on generosity, you
have to embrace gratitude. Gratitude, thankfulness, or appreciation is defined
as a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgement of a benefit that one has
received or will receive. The Bible talks more about praising God than anything
else. When we have a thankful heart, despite our circumstances, we lighten our
load. Nothing jump-starts our gratitude like practicing a habit of praise. King
David, who expressed his gratitude all throughout the book of Psalms, was
called a man after God’s own heart. Isn’t that what we’d like to be? Simply
reading his psalms of praise is an ideal way to build gratitude in our lives.
A large body
of recent work has suggested that people who are more grateful have higher
levels of well-being. Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less
stressed, and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships. Grateful
people also have higher levels of control of their environments, personal
growth, purpose in life, and self acceptance. Simply put, being grateful and
showing thanks can’t hurt…
In an article
in Guideposts, “The Power of Gratitude”, Dr. Stephen Post shares five things he
discovered about gratitude:
1. Gratitude defends. Just fifteen minutes a day focusing on
the things you’re grateful for will significantly increase your body’s natural
anitbodies.
2. Gratitude sharpens. Naturally grateful people are more
focused mentally and are measurably less vulnerable to clinical depression.
3. Gratitude calms. A grateful state of mind induces a
physiological state called resonance that’s associated with healthier blood
pressure and heart rate.
4. Gratitude strengthens. Caring for others is draining. But
grateful caregivers are healthier and more capable than less grateful ones.
5. Gratitude heals. It’s been shown that recipients of
donated organs who have the most grateful attitudes heal faster.
Gratitude
gives back. When we practice it, not only do we grow in our trust of God, but
we benefit physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
As we
acknowledge all have, we learn to praise God for all He has done for us. We
learn that our material things aren’t the most important. We come full circle.
You have to understand gratitude before we can discover the power of
generosity. Gratitude is the basis for giving. Grumpy, stingy people cannot
live in the spirit of generosity. In order to be able to open our hands to
give, we first have to give thanks for all we’ve been given.
