We believe that God expects us to show him our gratitude. In one scripture, it says:
Doctrine and Covenants: 59:21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.
Heavenly Father gives us everything. However, often we are like ungrateful, entitled children. We believe that we DESERVE blessings and that God should give them to us simply because we want them. Luckily for us, God doesn't work that way.
He has complete and perfect knowledge of the best way to parent each of us. He knows when we should wait for things, He knows when we need them immediately. It is simply our responsibility to recognize the blessings from our Heavenly Father and thank him for them.
HIis goal in this life is for all of us to reach perfection. Trials and conflicts make us grow. For my post on why bad things happen, click here. Our Heavenly Father doesn't let anything happen without a reason.
Often we are blessed beyond our wildest dreams and when that happens, we often forget to thank the one who caused it to happen.
There is an old story I know of. A man was working on his roof one day, when he suddenly felt himself slipping. Knowing that if he fell, he would tumble to his death, he quickly prayed, "God save me!"
As he went off the edge, his shirt caught on a nail and he stuck. He breathed a sigh of relief, looked back up at the sky and said, "Never mind, Lord, I saved myself."
There is another scripture I love. It's a King talking to his people about why they should be grateful to God. It says:
19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.
I love this because it is so true! We get everything from the Lord, and no matter what we do to try and serve him, he just blesses us more. We are eternally in His debt.
This week I'm going to be posting blogs about things I am grateful the Lord gave me. I have so much in my life, and often I am always looking toward the future and saying, "Oh, when this happens, I'll be happier."
I should be happier today. I have so many blessings and so few troubles. I need to let the Lord know that I have recognized His hand in my life, and I am grateful for it.
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