Attitude of Gratitude Talk
I gave this talk today and thought I would share it:
Today I will be speaking on having an attitude of gratitude
No matter your longitude or latitude
You’ve been awarding some habits dude
For the love of God become an addict true
Because a grateful heart is a habit too
I hope this will help you this afternoon
Today I will tell a story, give 2 examples of roadblocks to gratitude and 2 attributes that will destroy those roadblocks.
Dudley Dursley
I will begin with a story. Harry was an orphaned young boy about 10 years old that lived in the cupboard under the stairs in his Aunt and Uncle’s house. (No the story isn’t about Harry right now). He had a cousin named Dudley that got everything he ever wanted. On Dudley’s birthday his father pulled him in front of the presents and Dudley said “How many are there?” His father said “36! Counted them myself!” (Oh and they’re British by the way). “36! Last year, last year I had 37!” yelled Dudley. His father retorted “Well some of them are much bigger than last year.” “I don’t care how big they are!”
The first roadblock is that of entitlement. The sense that I deserve something. The Lord or the world owes me something just because I live in it. Dudley sure thought he deserved a lot! But this entitlement is not just in blessings but more so in not remembering where they come from. Not only does my generation have this disease but it has been a problem for centuries.
*Luke 17:17 you have the story of the 10 lepers
“And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
“And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
“And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
“There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
“And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”
I thought it interesting he said to the one “go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole.” If the Lord were like my mom she would have gave the 9 back their leprosy “Yeah uh huh ok! You just gonna walk away like I didn’t just change your whole life! You can go back into society now!”
The Lord is so nice though.
That leads me into the second roadblock which is apathy. Apathy is defined as a lack of care or concern for something. 2nd Nephi says “Wo unto him who is at ease in Zion.” Misplaced levels of care. Dudley wasn’t worried about his parents giving him gifts, he cared about how many. The lepers were only thinking about being healed, but not the one who healed them. We all can be easily caught in this trap because we are lazy by nature and think of ourselves. This pattern happened to the Nephites. They would live righteously and be blessed by the Lord spiritually and temporally, then at some point when they had money, comfort, and prosperity, they would lose sight of who gave them those and be ungrateful.
Andy Mineo said it like this:
He said it's hard for a rich man to get to heaven
When we feel like we don't need God, then we forget Him
We tell 'em that, "If you don't make me money or make me happy
Then I ain't makin' time for ya', so make it snappy"
Let’s not be like the comfortable Nephites and get outside ourselves.
Humility and Charity
2 ways to destroy those roadblocks are through humility and charity. If we are humble we are teachable. I’ve had students like Dudley in class and they are not teachable. They drive me crazy! I can only imagine how loving Heavenly Father has to be to deal with some of us. Humility allows us to be obedient and to follow the course that has been placed before us. He has given us everything. Shouldn’t we thank Him for it? How do we do it? Is it a verbal affirmation only?
Oh hey thanks pop, thanks dad, oh thanks.
Those I am most grateful to are those I love the most. I’m thankful for my wife for dealing with my morning breath, not closing the cupboards, or not making the bed exactly how I should sometimes. Who promised to be with me forever, sorry bout it. For working her job bringing the bread while I’m in student teaching. I love her. So I do all I can to make her happy. My mother, worked 3 jobs to get her masters while I was a little dude, dealt with me as a dumb teenage boy crashing the brand new car into a portable at school. Gave her all for me. I'm so thankful for her. I love her. I do what I can to show her.
Anyone ever have a woman pull this one at 11pm or when you sit down to watch the game? “Baby can you go to the store and get some feminine products and a Butterfinger? I love youuuuu!” That love is a huge catalyst for obedience. I will do it for her because I love her and I know she loves me. I believe love is the key to gratitude.
Jesus said "If ye love me, keep my commandments" that greatest love comes from gratitude. Showing I appreciate what he did for me. And why shouldn’t I be grateful? This is what he did for me
*Alma 7:10-13
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
He did that for me. And for you. How do I express my thanks? I can pray and say hey thanks, that was awesome. But more so I can show Him I love Him by keeping His commandments.
*1 Corinthians 15:57
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
This thanksgiving let us not only say what we are grateful for, but live as grateful sons and daughters of our loving Heavenly Father. Don’t be a Dudley. Be an Alma. Be the 1 cleansed leper. Give Him thanks and praise everyday.
I know the Savior came lived, died, and was resurrected for you and me. I know that God loves us and will bless us as we live worthy of them. I know that the Book of Mormon is true scripture and that we have a prophet here on the earth. And for all these I am eternally grateful.
In the name of Jesus Christ amen.
