The Power of Gratitude: Magnifying God and Humbling Ourselves

**Introduction**

Have you ever stopped to think about how often we take things for granted? From the air we breathe to the food we eat, there are countless blessings in our lives that we often overlook. In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul addresses this tendency and reminds us of the importance of gratitude. In Romans 1:21, Paul writes, "Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

In this devotional, we will explore the significance of gratitude and how it relates to our view of God. We will discover that ingratitude stems from a love for our own glory, and that genuine gratitude can only arise when we recognize our dependence on God. So, let's dive in and uncover the beauty of gratitude and its impact on our relationship with God.

**The Magnification of God through Gratitude**

When we express gratitude towards someone, we are acknowledging them as the source of our blessings. We are recognizing their role as a giver and benefactor. The same principle applies to our relationship with God. When we cultivate a heart of gratitude towards Him, we are magnifying His greatness and glory. We are giving Him the honor and praise that He deserves.

However, when gratitude does not arise in our hearts towards God, it is often because we do not want to magnify Him or give Him credit. We prefer to glorify ourselves and our own accomplishments. This stems from a love for our own glory, which is deeply ingrained in our human nature.

**The Root of Ingratitude: Love for Self-Glory**

At the core of all ingratitude is a love for one's own greatness. Genuine gratitude requires us to admit that we are beneficiaries of God's unearned blessings. It requires us to recognize our own weakness and dependency on God. But for those who love their own glory more than the glory of God, this is a difficult pill to swallow.

We often want to present ourselves as self-sufficient and competent individuals. We want to be seen as strong and capable. The idea of admitting that we are sin-sick and helpless goes against our desire for self-glory. It diminishes our own importance and redirects all the praise to God. And so, we resist gratitude because it threatens our own sense of greatness.

**Jesus and the Call to Humility**

Jesus understood the human tendency towards self-glory. In Mark 2:17, He said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Jesus came to minister to those who recognize their need for Him. He came for those who are willing to humble themselves and admit their brokenness.

The call to humility is not an easy one. It requires us to set aside our pride and acknowledge our need for a Savior. It challenges us to let go of our self-sufficiency and embrace our dependence on God. But in doing so, we open ourselves up to a world of blessings and experience the joy of genuine gratitude.

**Conclusion**

Gratitude is not just a matter of saying thank you or counting our blessings. It is a reflection of our view of God and our understanding of our own limitations. When we choose to magnify God through gratitude, we are acknowledging His role as our benefactor and recognizing our own need for Him. We are humbling ourselves and embracing the truth that we are not self-sufficient, but rather, dependent on God's grace and mercy.

So, let us cultivate a heart of gratitude towards God. Let us magnify Him as the source of all our blessings and give Him the honor and praise that He deserves. And in doing so, may we experience the joy and fulfillment that comes from embracing our true identity as unworthy beneficiaries, cripples leaning on the cross-shaped crutch of Jesus Christ, paralytics living in the iron lung of God's mercy, and children asleep in heaven's stroller.