THE HEART OF GRATITUDE

BY OYEKUNLE TAIWO AFOLABI

One of the greatest human feelings generated from a heart of appreciation is thankfulness. It is capable of driving and influencing the choices of man. Human beings were made with this distinctive trait and character that fosters their longing for acceptance and appreciation. We carry this special and distinctive character from the ultimate Creator of all things. A man who knows the dynamism and effectiveness of appreciation has not only the key to the heart of mankind but can call the presence of God in a location.

This substance of creation (thankfulness) has a spontaneous influence on the life of the creation (man), who has gained the ability to harness it, taking full advantage of its power and channelling it into his existence. This tiny or ignored virtue has the capacity to pierce even the most shattered and hard-hearted soul in motivating them to work for and in your favour. When appreciated, a person who is hard-hearted might be softened to a degree, thereby changing his heart in your favour.

Gratitude comes from appreciating the worth and the substance of everything around us. A person who is devoid of emotional appreciation has the potential of being affected adversely and stifled by the circumstances and scenarios he is presented with. This readily impedes him from harnessing and leveraging it to take progressive and effective options that generate outstanding effects.

Our limited perspective of this magnificent virtue has hindered our progress in life. Being ungrateful has reduced our capacity to look beyond the painted and tarnished picture of ourselves and comprehend our genuine selves; instead, we degrade our personality and talent. This originates from having a mistaken self-image and understanding of ourselves. If you cannot appreciate yourself made in the image of God and fashioned in his likeness, how can you realize the genuine worth of people, things, and circumstances around you?

A thankful and appreciative spirit offers us the grace of raising and drawing the hand of God. We also recognize that in the Bible, one of the greatest weapons of the battle to mark the destruction of the adversary is praises. God occupies our praises, and so do men that were fashioned in His image; man was forged to live in an environment/climate where he feels accepted. This, in turn, generates a favourable atmosphere or attitude to flourish and exist in the climax of his potential and ability.

The event that captures the pushing force of appreciation has been documented in the Bible, and likewise, its influence has also been inscribed in the sands of time. We begin to realize via the word of God that its greatest influence is not simply in pleasing or shaping the soul of mankind; it has the potential to influence people’s judgment and behaviour. Check your performance at work or anyplace and reflect on the things and people you have around you: their worth and the influence they’ve had in your life. Do you genuinely cherish them? Do you comprehend their core? The inability to perceive this impedes you from growing a heart of appreciation.

The sun that brightens, the moon that lightens, the stars that shine, and the atmosphere that houses them all are there for a reason; to illuminate the day and night, for, without them, we would be living in great darkness. Our good Lord and Father created this because we deserve it and because He understands our value on earth. With the labour of His hands, He chose to make a habitation, providing it with all things that can support the creation and existence of life on earth.

Gratitude itself is likewise drawn from the heart of love. Love: the greatest commandment and the finest character of God. It made the most supreme of all existing beings in heaven and on earth choose to give His Son for the redemption of the lost and dark world. A heart of love does not only develop the act of valuing one’s self and the people around but also produces a feeling of gratitude. Valuing the people around you, their effect and essence in your life, supported by the act of love, produces and maintains a feeling of thankfulness. This doesn’t apply only to individuals around you, but to everyone who creates influence or helps your development and advancement in life in any way.

We were made in the image of God and produced with His inherent nature and traits; consequently, we were created out of love and redeemed in love. We have in us the characteristic of love, which promotes our care and devotion for all that was created by God, including the flawed organisms living on earth. Since we have the mind of God, we think and perceive animals around us as the living God. We respect and cherish everything and everyone God has made.

Gratitude is a potential virtue in a man’s life; its usefulness in life has been overlooked, and this has led to arrogant thoughts and acts in the lives of men. This has also led to independence in life. We live in a world where our life and survival are hinged on knowing and comprehending God, valuing Him as the one genuine God. But a man without this virtue or one who has not aroused it in his life is blinded by his singlehanded success, like king Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible. This leads to the abasement of personality, fame, property, and worth in life. And for us to grow and perform successfully in our place of work and services, the heart of thankfulness is essential.

Develop a spirit of thankfulness today by appreciating everything and everyone around you.

© OYEKUNLE TAIWO AFOLABI

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