Two things you can say when you wake up, and they decide the rest of the day
“If the only prayer you said was ‘thank you’, that would be enough.” — Meister Eckhart
When we wake up in the morning, we have one of two possible expressions that govern our day. Either it is the overwhelming gasp of tension, “Good Lord! It's morning!” or the exuberant shout of joy, “Good morning, Lord!”
If we happen to fall in the first category (which, I am pretty sure, most of us do), we push ourselves through the day complaining about the world's problems and behaving as if all the burdens have fallen on our shoulders. But if we happen to fall in the second category, we start the day on a grateful note and sail through it in a calm and relaxed manner — rejoicing, marvelling and appreciating the Lord's gifts.
An attitude of gratitude
As Christians, we should always carry an attitude of gratitude — counting your blessings, noticing simple pleasures and acknowledging everything that you receive. Most often we focus on what we lack instead of what we have, taking for granted the good things already present in our lives. We complain about not having a house big enough, or enough clothes, or a bigger paycheck. And we wish we could do things differently.
For such people, we have a ‘gratitude exercise’. Imagine losing some of the things that you take for granted — such as your family, your friends, your ability to see or hear, or anything that currently gives you comfort. Then imagine getting each of these things back, one by one, and consider how grateful you would be for each and every one.
Humility
There is another virtue which goes hand in hand with gratitude. Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else and not your own lips.”
God detests pride because it is a sin where we put ourselves in God's place. In this era of ‘marketing’, we cannot resist the urge to self-promote and blow our own trumpets. We idolise ourselves and become self-important and egotistic.
The only way to eliminate ego is humility — an attitude of personal modesty. Humble people are not spineless or doormats, as otherwise thought. Instead they are people with their feet firmly planted on the ground, and rightfully placing God before themselves. Sometimes our achievements and our accomplishments make us blind to the fact that it is indeed the Lord who has made us who we are and given us what we have.
The fullest and best ears of corn hang lowest toward the ground.
Bishop Reynolds, quoted by the author
But all is not over. Take a moment each day and make a list of 5 things to thank God for. Let it not be just a formality; acknowledge His gifts and thank Him wholeheartedly for the blessings and joys that He continues to shower upon you each day.
Lorita Das
Writes on faith and ordinary life. She also contributed to the January 2013 issue.