What If Gratitude Looked Like This
As the recipients of God’s unfathomable and all-encompassing love, going to the lengths that He did to redeem us, is gratitude our natural response for His gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?
For most of us, we have read, studied, and received revelations from Holy Spirit about God’s desire and instructions for us to be grateful.
All through the New Testament, “… and be thankful” is an ending to scriptures on just about every topic: serving others, making requests for our needs in prayer, praying for healing for others, giving offerings, preaching the gospel, encouragement when going through challenging times, and even when we’re being persecuted for the sake of the gospel. In all of these, we are instructed to be thankful.
Gratitude doesn’t always mean we’re thinking or saying, “Thank You”, but is housed in a contented spirit. Paul says in Philippians 4:11 …
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
And Timothy tells us in I Timothy 6:6 …
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Contentment is a subtle expression of gratitude. Being content comes from a humble spirit that acknowledges that as God’s adopted children and heirs with Jesus, we know that present circumstances, no matter how bleak or painful, are only temporary, and serve to shape our character into what is required to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Feeling content means we have complete trust in God to meet our needs, and that He knows what is best for us. Being content in all things means that our hearts are set on Kingdom treasures rather than earthly.
And as everything with God, we cannot outgive Him, not even in giving thanks to Him. When we humble ourselves and cultivate a thankful heart in all circumstances, we receive incredible benefits.
Thankfulness brings us peace because we are focused on what we have rather than what we lack. It focusses on the problem solver instead of the problem.
Cultivating a heart that every beat sings out gratitude is sweet incense to God, glorifies Him, and is a magnet for miracles.
In the last decade, scientific studies have revealed that being thankful physically benefits us as well. Living in a spirit of gratitude lowers blood pressure, calms the heart, releases stress, boosts brain cell renewal, and strengthens our immune system.
But what if there’s even more to the “gratitude principle”?
What if gratitude looked like this?
My mother was the epitome of a loving mother. The love in her heart was too big to be satisfied with just saying “I love you” and hugging you, although she did plenty of that. Her love was tangible, active, expansive, and life-changing for those on the receiving end. She was devoted to her family, and her family reached beyond those she gave birth to as she became “Mom” to all her children’s friends, and grew to include the lonely, the neglected, and the abandoned.
As Jesus imitators, this is what we all should strive for, reflecting God’s love in our lives to those around us, starting with our own household and spiraling outward to all the corners of our influence. Contentment is not smug satisfaction with our lot, but a heart of peace because we know Who holds our life in His hands, and this peace pours out into our relationships with other people where mercy, grace and service to others overflows.
Being thankful for our own salvation should lead us to a passion for sharing the Good News with others so that they too will be saved. Our gratefulness should be expressed in bearing fruit for the Kingdom.
As we enter November, my challenge to you for the month leading up to Thanksgiving is to read a “thankful” scripture or one of the “praise” psalms every day, and then ask God what He desires from you to put that into action that day. It may be as simple as sharing the verse you read in a text to a friend or to post on Facebook. But look out, it may be something bigger … we can never guess what God has in mind ahead of time, but we do know whatever it is, it will end in a big blessing for US.
May God bless you this month in ways you would never expect.
Psalm 103:1-6 and 17-22
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Comments are closed