Be Thankful, Because He Says So

I will be thankful to God in all circumstances.

Verse

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Father, thank you for asking us to do what is already good for us, like choosing to be thankful in all things. It’s amazing how such a simple little instruction can matter so much, and yet be so hard to put into action.

Lord, infuse our hearts with thankfulness. 

Root out in us a spirit of discontentment and grumbling. Convict us of an attitude of jealousy when we should choose gratitude.

Move us into a posture of thankfulness that we may glorify you with our words and deeds.

In the Strong Name of Jesus, Amen.

Move us into a posture of thankfulness that we may glorify you with our words and deeds.

Have you ever considered the correlation between gratitude and joy? How about complaining and misery? What about an attitude of thankfulness and hope, compared to an endless critical commentary that leads to an overwhelming sense of despair?

How we feel dictates how we live.

Maybe that’s what God calls us to be thankful in all circumstances because He knows that a posture of thankfulness leads to a life that is abundantly more joyful and impactful. Did you know that a person who is grateful and kind actually has a healthier brain map? (consider this)  So should we be surprised that Designer of our bodies has already told us to do what is good for us?

Think about it this way:  Who would you identify as life-givers in your family, among your friends, or at your place of work or ministry? What is it about them that makes being around them so easy? How about those people who are life drainers? What do you feel as you anticipate time together?

Okay, now let’s get personal: Which camp to do you fall into? Are you a life-giver, full of gratitude, thankfulness, and overflowing hope? Or are you a life-drainer, with a never-ending stream of complaints, making you and everyone else miserable as you despair about life?

Maybe you fall somewhere in between, depending on the day and hour. I confess I can easily swing from gratitude to grumbling. I like to blame it on the fact the I feel so deeply. I can be passionately filled with joy one minute and easily consumed by negativity the next. But here’s the deal, regardless of what we feel, being thankful is a matter of obedience.

God tells us plain and simple, be thankful.

So why do we resist doing so, especially when such blessings are in store for us? Because we are a stubborn and rebellious people, just like the Israelites (read Psalm 78 to get an overview). Not much has changed in us over all these years inhabiting the earth.

What God said was good for His people back then is still just as important today.

So will we learn from the generations that have gone before us? Or will we grumble at every turn? Will we follow in their footsteps, with stubborn, rebellious hearts? Or will we finally submit to doing what God says is best?

What is one practical step you can take towards developing a consistent attitude of gratitude?


 

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