“Expressing gratitude brings us humility. In a world where we have been given so much and might be severely tempted to pride, gratitude stands as a barrier, for one cannot fill pride and gratitude at the same time.”
–S. Michael Wilcox, “Gratitude”, January 2005 Ensign pg. 47
I saw this in an email I received this morning (LDSNuggets) and it really struck me as a truth. I can’t add much to it, except I believe gratitude is something our world is sadly lacking in, and something we are in dire need of.
Several years ago my Institute class was challenge (as I know many others have been before that and since) to offer a “gratitude prayer” in our personal prayers. I took up the challenge and it turned out, spent a lot of time on my knees, in tears of humility and thankfulness, unable to end it. The reason was, everything I gave thanks for brought new blessings to my mind. More and more, the reality of how blessed I have been in my life overwhelmed me.
Anyway, gratitude and pride. They cannot co-exist. And what is more valuable to our personal growth? Gratitude.
An interesting sidenote to this entry is that in addition to gratitude and pride being non-co-existent so similairly are entitlement and gratitude.
Those who expect everything from the world can not possibly feel gratitude for what they’ve been given.
Rick
Very true.
Whenever I get to the point where all I can think about is my pain and everything that is going wrong with my life I do the same thing… get on my knees and stay there until I can find things to be grateful for. Sometimes it takes a long time but once the thoughts start coming they just pour out over me.. as you said Mary, it’s a very humbling experience
Mum
Oh what good insight. Does it help reduce the pain? Or perhaps just look at it from a new perspective.
it doesn’t reduce it.. I have to get a blessing for it to be reduces but it does help me look at it from a different perspective.