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Written by Kátia Crispim, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Belém do Pará, Brazil

We commonly associate gratitude with emotional well-being—a feeling that warms the heart and makes us feel light on good days. However, true gratitude from the perspective of the Gospel goes far beyond mere emotion or simply saying "thank you." In the writings of the New Testament, we find various words rooted in this same concept of gratitude: Eucharistos / Eucharistia / Eucharisteō [ευ (eu) = good/well + χάρις (charis) = grace]. For the Greeks of that era, being grateful meant offering a "good response to the grace received."

In light of this, we understand that gratitude is a posture of the heart—an intentional attitude that overflows into practical actions.

The other day, I saw a video on social media of a young woman complaining, “Guys, a million these days is nothing—it doesn’t buy anything! My apartment cost 1.5 million!” It is disheartening to witness such an ungrateful attitude, considering that the overwhelming majority of people will never see that much money in their hands in their entire lives! What I saw made me reflect on the fact that material wealth is not synonymous with contentment and generosity.

The life of a woman touched by Jesus Christ should be different! As we journey through the New Testament narratives, we find inspiration in many women who encountered the Gospel of Grace, understood the value of what they had received, and naturally, in response to their new life in Christ, dedicated their gifts, resources, attitudes, and purposes to the service of the Kingdom.

In Acts 16:14-15, we meet Lydia, a seller of purple cloth. The text tells us that, as she listened to the words of the Apostle Paul, "the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message" (NIV). Lydia's transformation did not stop at the spiritual or emotional level. Once she and her household were baptized, her gratitude translated into immediate hospitality. She urged the apostles, saying, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord… come and stay at my house."

Lydia did not hesitate to place her home, social influence, and economic structure and resources at the service of the Gospel. Her house became the base for the first church planted in Europe. The fruit of her gratitude was the opening of doors for the message of Christ to spread to more and more places. Lydia was not alone. In the Gospel of Luke, we find another group of remarkable women who walked with Jesus and the 12 disciples. A profound detail stands out here: these women had been healed and set free by Jesus and, consequently, "were helping to support them out of their own means" (Luke 8:3), using their financial autonomy to become active partners in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles.

The lives of these women teach us that the fruit of gratitude does not depend on the amount of resources we possess, but on the contentment that fosters willingness in our hearts.

Practicing gratitude in our daily lives means looking at what we have freely received from the Lord, and asking: "How can I serve the Lord with what He has placed in my hands?" We can serve by opening our homes to welcome someone, offering our talents to the local church, providing financial support for missionary or charitable work (homes for the elderly, for vulnerable children, etc.), supporting workers with our resources (time or money), or simply dedicating ourselves to listening to and offering support to those in need.

Do not wait to have more time, space, resources, capacity, or anything else… everything we have already received gives us ample reason to celebrate God’s grace, causing our lives to bear abundant and lasting fruit of gratitude.

May we be intentional about aligning our lives to bear fruit for the Kingdom. May the Holy Spirit be our guide!

Reflection: Looking at your story and the gifts God has given you, in what practical ways has your gratitude translated into fruit and service in the lives of the people around you?

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Written by Ann Thiede, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

“One of the most powerful emotions is gratitude. If we can find ways to be thankful and grateful throughout our life, we will find the power and emotional strength to walk through some of life’s hardest seasons.”

This portion from the YouVersion Bible app devotional, Creating a Heart of Gratitude, exemplifies the early Christians — men and women — forgiven, redeemed, and compelled by the love of Christ in spite of trials and tribulation. They have left a powerful legacy for the church today.

In Acts 1, the disciples of Jesus witnessing Him ascend back to His Father after the resurrection could only be called a dramatic experience. Afterwards, to the amazement of all, the Holy Spirit descended like flames upon the Christ-followers gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. Peter preached, and all that had gathered from various nations understood his powerful words in their own language! He ended by proclaiming, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36 NIV). Three thousand Jews and proselytes, cut to the heart, believed his message and were baptized! Genuine love, fellowship, and gratitude characterized these new disciples — the first church.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)

By Acts 4:4, the church grew to five thousand! By Acts 5:14, “more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” Disciples were making disciples as the Good News spread.

But then, in Acts 7, Spirit-filled Stephen was stoned to death and “a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1). This would appear to be bad news, but no! “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (v4). Joy and ‘in-spite-of’ gratitude were their strength!

Philip spread the Good News in a Samaritan town and then was invited into a chariot and shared the Scriptures about Jesus with an important Ethiopian eunuch. At one point the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” (Acts 8:36). So Philip baptized him, “and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing” (v39). Imagine this grateful new disciple going back to Ethiopia and spreading the Good News!

The Spirit’s work continued. While persecuting and imprisoning Christians, Saul (as recorded in Acts 9, 22, and 26) dramatically encountered Christ, realized the truth of His Lordship, and then created havoc among the Jews by immediately preaching Jesus and His resurrection. In the meantime, Peter broke protocol and preached to a devout Gentile centurion, Cornelius, and his close friends and relatives. In the middle of preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on these Gentiles as He had in Acts 2! “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles” (Acts 10:45). God’s grace and resulting gratitude surely filled the hearts of Saul, now Paul, and Cornelius!

Acts 9:36-42 recounts another supernatural event among the disciples in Joppa. Dorcas, or Tabitha, who was always doing good, helping the poor, and clothing the widows, died. She was so beloved that Peter was urged to come at once. He prayed, took her by the hand, and presented her alive once more! With great joy and gratitude, the news spread, and as a result “many people believed in the Lord” (v42).

The book of Acts illustrates a Christ-loving cloud of witnesses motivated by grace and producing a great harvest of souls. Who will you join? Philip sharing Jesus with a stranger? Peter proclaiming Good News to previously shunned people? Dorcas honoring Jesus as she shares His love while doing good? Paul asking prayers for words to “fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph 6:19)?

May gratitude for all God has done in your life be your driving force.