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This episode deals with our inability, at times, to operate in a state of gratitude. Being grateful is so powerful that scientists are now insisting that when you are grateful, health benefits are seen. Being grateful has been documented to help you be consistently "happy." It helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
By applying three simple principles and keys to this Kingdom Principle, one can demonstrate just what it means to obey the 2000-year-old command: BE GRATEFUL.
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Kingdom Principle: Be Grateful - It's A Command
3 Principles And Keys To Apply
Hey, Ty.
What's up, Nic?
You already know what time it is.
It’s time for Dr. Tongie Show.
I don't know about you, but I'm so grateful to be alive. We made it. We start the show with the spirit of gratefulness. Thank you to everyone who truly allowed this show to come on for season number two. I'm very grateful to people like Mr. Smith, Mr. Steve Eteon, and my guy back in the saddle, Mr. Peter Jones. You look well rested and it's good to have you back here. You already know how I love doing it when I come into this man's domain. It's his kingdom. It's where he does things. He is a king here, and he's smiling. You know him as Marlon, I know him as my gentle giant.
I need to now make a slight correction. This is now your domain. Two seasons, this is no longer my time. It’s your time with your audience. Now, I am the one coming into.
I swear to you, I did not pay him to say that. Thank you so much. He makes me sound so good on the 1s and 2s, and I'm listening to myself and saying, “Is that me?” Thank you very much. Before I get there, let me say that this show is from the beautiful country of St. Lucia. We're located right here in the Caribbean. I do not take anything lightly or for granted that you tune in every day. I don't take it for granted that you watch on Wednesdays on the Hot 7 TV, and we've got an app that I have not paid enough homage to. Gentle Giant, would you please help me with that app?
Let's talk to those people who don't have the app. You know where to head to the Play Store, the App Store, and you just search Caribbean Hot FM. That's all. You'll see our logo. You just download the app, it's free, and you get it packaged 3 in 1. You get KISS FM, Hot FM, and you also get Hot 7 TV. You can watch from anywhere in the world.
We got the UK in the house that are watching, and Lagos, Nigeria, and people in Pakistan. I'm like, “What?”
Don't believe that right here in Saint Lucia, you can't do it as well because if, for whatever reason, we're off the air for a couple of minutes, you can also listen via the app as well.
Thank you, sir. He just sounds so good when he says that. We're going to have the phone lines opened in a few minutes. 450-5477, it's in the studio. Should you be like other folk like Miss Christine Kelan, who likes to reach out on WhatsApp? The number is (470) 534-2216. I will be answering after the show. Thank you for that. What is this show about? The show's about encouraging you. It's about motivating you and inspiring you to truly get into your purpose, get into the purpose that He's already placed in you so that you do not waste any more time. Once you know the purpose, it's about you being committed to it. The show is founded on Kingdom Principles. What is a kingdom, you ask?
As it relates to God, our Daddy, our Creator, the kingdom is His invisible government. It is His place where He rules and reigns. It's where He influences and impacts His domain with His lifestyle and His moralities and His values. We get to create a kingdom domain here on Earth because He has given us the authority to walk in that power.
When you think about principle, I want you to think about the original intent of the word. As it relates to God's original intent, we don't add to it, take away from it. We don't give our opinions. You'll never get an opinion from me, not on His Word. Your opinions don't matter either. I'm being very kind when I say that.
What can you expect from the show? You can expect honesty, openness, and sincerity. I'm not going to give you an opinion. The world is so full of I want to hear my opinion for 30 minutes and I don't want to give it, nor do I want to hear yours for 30 minutes. Am I being ugly? I'm not trying to be. This is a place for you to grow. It's a place where you can have actionable goals. It is our little community where we make sure to take care of one another and be kind, loving, and supportive.
It is a place where business empowerment sessions go on. I haven't done enough in that space, but I'm a businesswoman by trade and I enjoy doing business even when I'm a base. For my scholars, you know what a basement means. When it looks like I'm not going to make it through, business is my freedom. It is your creativity. You take it to the marketplace and you can do some astounding things with your hand and your mind.
I need a big favor from you on all social media platforms, whether it's Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube. I'm doing something in that TikTok space. Would you check me out, like, and share? Make a comment, and I'll get to answering it. I promise you, I will. My handle, because I'm telling you my age, is @DrTongieShow on all social media platforms. I made it easy. This show is a joy, and it is a privilege to do the show. I love and enjoy it. I am grateful. I need to know that you're tuning in and all that good stuff.
Let's get into this Kingdom Principle because there's something about being grateful. We've talked about it in times past, but this one came and arrested me right where I was. I'm thinking, “Daddy, what do I say to these amazing people that You've allowed me to come into their ear gate, their eye gate?” He says to be grateful because it's His command. I grew up in a small town in Mississippi. I came from a little place Columbus, Mississippi, and I love Columbus. Thank you, Columbus, for showing up. Mississippi is showing up. I am grateful.
I would hear my mom tell my sister and me, “You all need to be grateful, for God loves it when you're grateful.” Time after time, she'd tell us about being grateful. She used that word pretty much every day. I grew up being grateful for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even a snack. I'm still grateful for even water that I get to drink. It's something that I not only passed down to my children to be grateful for but even to my grandchildren. Hi, Caden, Kendrick, and Idris. When you're grateful for this or that you're doing something that is already a pillar of your life. Love is the foundation. Being grateful is like pillars that you're stacking on top of love.
As I grew older, I tried to experiment with grown folks' stuff. You know how you try to be grown, but I, even in my hiccups, would always have enough sense to say, “Lord, thank You.” I learned that I wasn't thanking Him because of the negative experiences that were going on in my life. I was thanking Him because He was with me in the negative experiences that were going on in my life. If you are experiencing a lack of being grateful, then this Kingdom Principle is for you to be grateful. It is not just something that sounds nice and it sounds like, “I'll just do it.” It's a command.
I was doing my studying and I came across 23 scriptures in our Constitution. You guys know that Constitution is our Bible about being grateful. Being grateful means appreciating what you have as opposed to what you don't or won't. There's a lot in being grateful. Being grateful is so powerful that we even got scientists now that are insisting that when you are grateful that you have certain health benefits. Being grateful has been documented to help you consistently be happy. It helps people see and feel more positive emotions. It helps to relish good experiences and deal with adversity. It builds a stronger relationship with the one who told you to be grateful.
When you are carrying out the command, I want you to know that a command is a heart matter. It's not a superficial thing you do. “We check off. I was grateful. I said thank you.” No. When Daddy, Jehovah, whatever you call Him, Yahweh, Creator, The Greatest That Ever Is That I Am, when He commands you a thing, He's speaking to your heart, to your true self. That's your spirit He's telling, “Be grateful.”
For my scholars, I'll paraphrase a little bit. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks to all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” Notice that the passage didn't say to give thanks because of the circumstance. It says, “Give thanks in all.” For many years, I thought that I would attempt to give thanks because of the adversities I was faced with.
When you don't understand the context of what is being spoken, you'll believe what you're being taught. You got to study that thing for yourself. You must study it for yourself. No matter what obstacles we encounter, especially for us believers, we're so grateful that we're not in this thing by ourselves that you'll find yourself going through being unhoused.
That's a politically correct thing to say, being unhoused. I was homeless, but I still had enough sense to say, “Lord, I thank You. Lord, I thank You that I can live in this hotel for just a season. I thank You, Lord, that I even got the money to stay here for just a season.” It was uncomfortable, but I was still grateful because the commandment was to be grateful in all things. Being grateful has its privileges.
It's like having an American Express card and you walking around with your American Express card. You got some privileges that the card can offer. It’s the same thing as being grateful. The privileges are for those who operate with gratefulness, they exude this type of confidence. They're stable. They're not up one minute and down the next. They're not saying, “Woe is me,” all the time. Every time you see them, “Lord, I'm going through this. I'm going through that.” They may tell you what's going wrong in their lives, but the spirit of that man is telling you, “I'm grateful that I am not going through this thing by myself.”
When you're truly grateful, you know that your life, your relationships, your finances, your family, all of that is wrapped up in the confidence of God. He got you. He got them. You'll begin to walk with such excitement that everywhere you go, what you feel is joy, peace, and love in the Holy Ghost. No matter what you going through, that's the atmosphere that you shift.
When you are truly grateful, you know that your life, your relationships, your finances, your family, and all of that are wrapped up in the confidence of God.
When you walk in the room, people are like, “There's something about him. I just can't put my finger on about her but every time you see them, they got such joy. They got such peace. They exude in love.” That's you being grateful and that's the privilege of what they get to see. Your reality becomes your norm when you're grateful. Being grateful will call you to concentrate on the abundance of what you got, not concentrating on your lack.
You'll begin to speak from your heart. I have everything I need to accomplish my goals and my assignments. When you're grateful, small things don't matter to you anymore, nor do small-minded people who try to remind you of what you don't have and what you need to be totally happy. When you're grateful, you're happy when you have more than enough, and you are all right when it looks like you aren’t got it because you are grateful.
Let's look at three principles and three keys of gratefulness. 1) When you operate with a grateful heart, you remind God that He is your provider and your source. It takes the pressure off of you trying to do everything that only God can do. Here's the key to that. Every single day when you operate in the command of being grateful, you get to experience daily benefits from God. You get to experience Him forgiving you those times when you wanted to do what you wanted to do. That's iniquity. You get to experience life on top and not below.
2) Being grateful allows you to meet every trial you may face with sheer abandonment. You already know that because you trust and operate in His faith that you are already steadfast in your beliefs that He got you. You began to say to yourself, “God got me.” You look in the mirror and say, “God got me. He got this. He got me. I won't lose my mind in this.” You do know that there's nothing too big for our Daddy, no matter what it looked like.
The key to this is to make up your mind that every single day, you'll remind yourself that God is for you. Although there may be times when you feel like the battle is going to be lost, remember that the battle that you're fighting is in your mind. Your mind is telling you what you see is your reality, but your faith and your gratefulness say, “He already made every crooked place straight.” How do you know Dr. Tongie? I'll slow it down and tell you.
I told you this story. I needed $32,000. The tax man calls it. I'm looking at God and looking at my baby's billing and I'm like, “Dear God,” but I remembered that He created, He allowed Jesus, His only begotten Son to create a fish that had the tax money in the fish's mouth. I'm just crazy like that. I believe God could create me a fish and pay my taxes too, and He did. Even though I had a need, I still had to show up because it's easy to say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” when you got all your bills paid and your taxes paid.
Will you still show up when this is due, that is due, and everybody acting like they all lost their mind? You still got to show up for God and tell Him how good He is and how great He is. You're not just saying it out of your mouth. You're saying it with a demonstration of showing up. I do mean that. He will do exceeding abundantly above all that you could ask or think. You're talking to a sign, and my children are a wonder.
3) Stay in constant dialogue with Him. Tell Him how good He is. Tell Him how because of Him you are. Tell Him that you need Him. Tell Him that you're grateful. Whatever he's allowing you to experience, it won't kill you. It won't make you lose your faith. Tell him that you already know. On the other side of this is that. Be in constant dialogue with Him. Here's the key to that. The more you spend time with Him, the more He gives you to do. Real talk. God is for you. He knows your potential, your destiny, and your heart. To develop that, you got to be in constant communication with Him. You got to stay in His presence and do what he commands the order of your heart to do.
He's a provider to those who expect Him so expect Him and be grateful for that.
In closing, life is a gift. There is a purpose, a plan, and a strategic way for you to get out of life. Everything that he is already purpose for you to get out of it and for you to do. Every day that you get up is an opportunity for you to believe again and to live what he has already said about you that you're blessed in the city and in the field.
Life is a gift. There's a purpose, a plan, and a strategic way for you to get out of life everything that God has already purposed for you to get out of it.
The work of your hands is blessed. Your children, your grandchildren, your unborn great-grands, your unborn great-great-grands, all of them are blessed because of you. You matter. Be grateful for this moment. You have the ability to achieve heights that you thought were only in regard to other folk. I'm here to tell you, I've been sent. He got you. He can do things that will blow your mind, like create a fish with tax money in his mouth. That's the truth.
The number is 450-5477. I saw a few calls coming in. This is your opportunity to call back. I am giving you that chance. Let's go to the phone lines.
Hi, Marlon.
Hi.
How are you?
I'm good. When you are grateful, you lack nothing. You are always satisfied with what you have. You can always share because grateful is the piece of bread that you have. You can give a friend, a neighbor, or someone. You are never hungry. I have to keep on praying to put the strength to endure so that you can tell us a little more about our Heavenly Father. Have a good day.
Don't you dare make me cry. I love you. Thank you so much.
Katrina says hello. She's tuning in also.
Wonderful. Thank you.
Bye.
Bye.
Thank you for calling.
How about that? Being grateful.
Let's get to a message from Magdalena. She says, “We live in a world that has become so ungrateful and unappreciative. The Word says, ‘In everything we give thanks.’ It was hard at one time to understand that because who wants to be grateful in hard times? I came to understand that gratefulness makes you a healthier person. It is in difficult times that God proves who He is because He can make good things come out of the bad. He can put the broken pieces together. We are sometimes ungrateful because we choose to see and complain about the bad all the time instead of being grateful for the many blessings we already have.”
“We can be ungrateful when we have jealous and hateful spirits. It is good to give thanks and praise. When we are able to do that, we are blessed even more. We are happier and healthier. We glow and we pass it on because it radiates and others can become infected with that same grateful spirit. Give thanks, be grateful, and watch the change it brings in your life.”
That's the truth. Thank you, Maggie. She lives exactly what she says, and I'm just honored to have her in my life, have her in our lives in this beautiful country. Thank you so very much for your contribution. Thank you, Ms. Barbara, for your contribution. I am grateful. Marvin, Marlon, you know I'm going to pick on you. Do one thing that you're grateful for.
Always be grateful for life.
No matter what it looks like.
Some people may see health, strength, and all of that. You don't have it unless you have life. I'm grateful. You may experience some difficult times but you still have to sit up and realize, “I should be grateful for life.” Whatever happens, it's up to you.
I like that a lot. Thank you, sir. Are you writing your book now? You should. The dangers of not being grateful. Sometimes you can take the very blessing that God allows in your life for granted and what a slap in the face when you're not grateful for the people that He sends to you, whether it's friends, your spouse, or your children. Take stock of that and mind your manners, as my Mama would say.
I've got this little thing. I do it a lot on the beach. My daughter hates walking with me on the beach now, because every time I see a seashell, I'll pick the seashell up, and I'll say, “I'm grateful for this.” It's not that she's getting tired of me saying I'm grateful. We are in a rhythm. We are walking, and then I'll stop. I spend the entire 45 minutes to an hour picking up seashells. My husband says, “What are you going to do with those seashells?” I'm thinking, “Witty ideas, creative inventions. I'm going to make something with my seashells.”
Try it, if you will. Every time you see a seashell or a rock, pick the rock up and say what you're grateful for. It'll cause you to get your mind off of what you see as a lack or what you may be experiencing and put your mind on that emotion of gratefulness. Gratefulness is a lifestyle. It's you getting up every morning saying, “God, I know You got me at one foot in front of the other. I'm going to do this thing called life.” Be grateful.
I am grateful that you tuned into this show. I do not take you lightly or for granted. I do know that there are thousands of other shows that you could be tuning into. For you to take time out of your schedule for real to let me in your ear gate or your eye gate, I'm grateful for you. God bless you. Live your life like you have lost your mind. Get the mind of Christ. The Lord stays the same, and the creek doesn't rise. We going to do it again. We have a visual portion on Hot 7 TV at 11:00. I'm grateful for you.
I'm grateful for you being here.
Thank you, sir.
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