Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in him you have been made complete, and he is the head over all rule and authority; -Colossians 2:6-10. (New American Standard Bible)

Jason M. Alexandre, Voices Against the Grain Devotional Writer

Imagine you give your child a gift. This gift you gave from the bottom of your heart. You even put some money aside for weeks just to make sure you purchased this special gift for your child. The child receives it and asks you, “Is that all?”

How would you feel? The question the child asked implies ungratefulness and often times we treat God our Heavenly Father that way as well. When God gives us something and we want more we often fail to ask ourselves, “God am I expressing gratitude at this moment?”

A person who is really godly is a person who is grateful.

Our passage of scripture encourages us to have a spirit that overflows with gratitude. It is even interesting what precedes the overflow. The scriptures says that now that we have received Christ Jesus the Lord we are to walk in him and to be firmly rooted and built up in him. Out of a relationship with Jesus Christ, gratefulness can be developed.

The Good News (The Gospel) still is good news. The Bible says that Jesus Christ redeemed us by dying on the cross for our sins and was resurrected three days later. Jesus is the foundation of gratefulness. It is upon that truth we understand our eternal security and that we too will have a bodily resurrection. We can be grateful because he also gives us peace, the Holy Spirit to comfort us and the many gifts given to us to live a purposeful life.

When you have a grateful heart, your walk, talk, and attitudes are different. You recognize that it’s all of God and none of you. You recognize that he is the source of everything that comes to you. You’re friendly toward others, fruitful, joyful, motivated, generous, peaceful, and thoughtful of others. All of these are some of the notable evidences of a grateful heart. Gratefulness is a contagious spirit.

However, take heed to verse 8 of the scripture. You’ve heard before that “misery loves company.” Let no one steer you in a direction to take your eyes off of Christ. For the cousin of gratefulness would love to pay you a visit: his name is “despair,” and he tends to leave the markings of destruction wherever he sets in. Remember the provision of Christ. Remember his promise of protection. Remember his word. Remember he promised us an eternal home in heaven and when think on these truths, you will see that a grateful heart can be felt on the inside and radiated to the world on the outside. Be blessed.

-Jason M. Alexandre

About Jason M. Alexandre

Jason Melchizedek Alexandre was born in November of 1989 in Brooklyn, N.Y. His family later moved to Philadelphia, Pa., and he now resides in Limerick, Pa. In May of 2014, Jason obtained his Master of Social Work degree at Widener University. Professionally, Jason counsels persons who are homeless, parents, veterans, and others who suffer from various kinds of abuse. Although Jason’s career is Social Work, his spiritual passion is missions. Jason believes in actively answering the Great Commission call Jesus gave all Christians for the Gospel to be spread from person-to-person and nation-to-nation. Annually, Jason travels primarily to Haiti on a mission trip with Haiti Christianity Inc. Each year, Haiti Christianity, Inc., visits cities and/or villages in Haiti bringing children educational supplies, clothing, and medical supplies. They also facilitate conferences in which bible study, budgeting tips, financial planning and most importantly, evangelization takes place. Jason is currently the organization’s public relations director. Jason’s vision is for the gospel to continue to spread throughout the world and believes it is Christian’s responsibility to carry out this mission effectively. To learn more about the organization for which Jason volunteers, please visit www.HaitiChristianity.org.