Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Reverence – Part 3
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been talking about reverence. I have mainly been focusing on how to show God reverence by kneeling in prayer. But another aspect I want to talk about today is our attitude. Although I try to be positive, I must confess that there are times when I still grumble. I have gotten a lot better in this area, but I still have room for improvement. Complaining is common in our culture. Sadly, it has become the norm, is fully accepted, and even encouraged. Happy people are often frowned upon these days.
But as Christians, we are called to a higher standard. We are called to be a shining light in a dark world. We are called to be the salt of the earth. But something that has been pulling on my heart recently is how this relates to reverence.
One thing we discussed over the past two weeks was that reverence is all about the heart. Well, Jesus tells us in Matthew 15:18, “But what comes out of your mouth reveals the core of your heart” (TPT). So, if reverence is a reflection of our heart’s posture, and if our words reveal what’s in our heart, then that tells me our words and attitudes are important when it comes to reverence.
I imagine it must grieve the Lord to hear us gripe all the time. In fact there is a Bible verse that mentions grieving the Holy Spirit. It says in Ephesians 4:29-32, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” When I think about my attitude grieving the Lord, this breaks my heart.
God is so good to us and showers us with blessings every day. Yes, we all face difficulties in life. However, God is still watching over us, protecting us, and caring for us through it all. He is faithful and trustworthy. He never leaves us, nor forsakes us. So, how can we possibly grumble when we know how good God is to us?
There are many Christians who just want a ticket to heaven and that is all. But there is so much more than that. Our lives belong to Him. Our words and actions should honor Him. Sometimes our pride puffs up when we hear things like this. We don’t want to let go of some things and live for the Lord. But I promise you that you will only find peace and joy, once you finally decide to fully surrender.
I heard Pastor Jentezen Franklin say something a few months ago that really resonated in my heart: “God doesn’t owe you anything. But you owe Him everything!” (Sermon heard on TBN June 21, 2020.) That statement says a lot. And it makes me want to have more reverence for the Lord. And one way we can do that is by changing our attitudes.
Reading through the Psalms specifically written by King David, it amazes me how he always praised God, even in the worst of times. He faced so many trials in his life, but he continued to praise God and to cling to God. He knew God was a good God. He knew God was faithful and trustworthy. David didn’t let his complaints stop him from full reverence for the Lord.
Psalm 144 is a good example in which David was facing something difficult. In some of the verses, he is asking God for his help. Yet he praised God through it all. He opens the Psalm with “Praise be to the Lord my Rock” (v 1). And in verse 9 he says that he “will sing a new song” to God. To read all of this Psalm, click here.
I pray our hearts can be like David’s (who was said to be a man after God’s own heart). I pray we too can show God our reverence, even in the midst of a storm. God does so much for us, every moment of every day. And He deserves all the honor, glory, respect, and reverence. Take some time today to praise God, either in your own words, or by reading a Psalm. Show Him reverence, and in turn your heart will soar.
© 2021 Bridget A. Thomas
Bridget A. Thomas 
I really like the connection you pointed out between our attitude, our words and showing reverence to God. I never thought of that before but I cannot imagine how we continue to grieve the spirit by that griping attitude we can so easily have when things don’t seem to go our way.
An awesome and important point for us to consider if we wish to live our life with reverence to Him.
Blessings my dear friend 🤗💙
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This is something the Lord has been nudging me about lately. I believe our negativity can be a barrier between us and God. And I do believe it grieves Him if we are quick to complain, instead of being quick to proclaim faith and hope. When things go “wrong,” I want to remember that God is still in control and guiding my path! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Blessings to you too, my friend! ❤️
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Oh my goodness! When you mentioned that our griping must grieve the Lord I teared up! I’ve been doing a lot of that this winter because I’m sick of Covid and the cold weather! Now I just want to get on my knees and beg forgiveness until it makes Him happy again. I never want to think that I’ve hurt my Father, but I know that I have many times.
Thank you for this eye-opening post!
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I have been griping more lately too! There has been so much going on in our world that stresses us out, and ultimately affects our mindset. It makes me so sad to know I grieve the Lord when I am quick to complain. So I am right there with you. I pray we both can improve in this area, as we hand our concerns over to God. Blessings, my friend! ❤️
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I have been blessed by this Series Bridget.
God richly bless you for the post.
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Thank you! I am glad you are getting some encouragement from the posts! God bless you!
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Amen.
Bless you more Bridget.
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This was really beautiful Bridget. It was very thought provoking. Because I’ve really been struggling with depression I’ve found it difficult to find the words to respond to posts and comments, let alone praise God. Depression has a way of making you feel really terrible about yourself when you’re struggling. But I’m finally catching up on posts. Tonight is a better night and I found your words once again very comforting. It definitely gives me a reason and a reminder why God is great and greatly to be praised. Blessing to you dear friend. ❤
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I understand what you mean. I have been where you are. So please don’t feel obligated to read and respond if you are not feeling up to it. I am glad this post brought you some comfort though. Yes God is worthy of our praise. But I also understand not being able to find the right words to praise Him sometimes, especially when we are struggling. But He understands what you are going through, and you can seek rest in His loving hands. Blessings to you too, my friend. ❤️
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