By Olubunmi Adebayo
*Many people only operate by focusing on the following three steps of receiving from God, without ever bothering about the fourth one, which happens to be the most essential. First, what are the three steps?*
*Matt 7:[7] “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”*
*[8]”For every one that asketh,receiveth; and he that seeketh,findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”.*
*There is the fourth step which is key to all the three steps above. This critical step which is a rider to the three above is _SHOWING APPRECIATION_ :*
*Just consider this :*
*Luke 17:[17] “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?*”
*[18]”There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”*
*Necessity they say is the mother of invention, so is gratitude, the mother of what it takes to receive more and more from God and from men.*
*Please note and know that gratitude to God, and gratitude to men, should be a daily pattern of our lives.*
*Despite our poor attitude in coming to term on gratitude, yet there is so much to be grateful for in life.*
*This nature in man that only focuses on what is still outstanding that are yet to be met at the expense of what has been met already, is anti-human and not of God.*
*Have you taken your time to reflect on the fact that it is not everyone that goes out in the morning that returns back in the evening? Is it everyone that sleeps, that wakes up in the morning? Is it everyone that desires to eat a particular meal that succeeds in getting such a meal to eat? Is it everyone that got admitted to a particular school that graduates at the end of the program? Is it everyone that marries that returns with the fruit of the womb as evidence of fruitfulness and productivity? And the list is on and on.*
*For any reason whatsoever, don’t ever assume or have it at the back of your mind that the examples cited above were meant to draw any inference of mockery or disparagement in their cases. God forbids such.*
*The examples of men and women are cited to remind each and everyone of us of the fact that we all have several reasons to be grateful to God for in our journey of life.*
*Sir, Ma, the list of what we should be grateful for is practically endless for which we should so declare to God.*
*Also note this critical factor of life : we are all at different levels of gratitude consciousness and expression. But no matter your placement on the gratitude ladder however, you can always work on yourself to move up, and do better.*
*The more grateful you are, the higher you will go in your achievable altitude. This is the simple truth of life. To think or act otherwise is nothing short of ingratitude, pride or self delusion or sheer pomposity. And to who anyway? We should not be ungrateful to God, and to men.*
Top of the day to you
©️ Olubunmi S Adebayo.
