This time of year is full of thoughts of thankfulness, which is great. But, we often go through the motions with our various #thankful statements. They help us realize how much we take for granted but never really seep into our heart providing opportunity for change. We can go through the motions of thanksgiving and not really mean what we say or do.
True thankfulness is something we learn because it goes against our human nature. It’s unnatural for us to be thankful. To be thankful goes against our American values of independence, entitlement and instant gratification (here’s a 30 day devotional if you really want to dig into what God’s word says about thankfulness).
The Opposite of Thankful
To truly grasp thankfulness, we must see the opposition. If thankfulness is absent in our lives and we are not intentionally grateful, we develop an unhealthy ego, we hurt our friends through our own selfish ambition, we take people and things for granted, we become constantly discontent, frustrated, angry, vulgar and have unpractical expectations for ourselves and everyone around us. These become bad habits that make us very unlikable to others and can even make us unlikable to ourselves.
Without gratitude, our hearts can become darkened. Luke 11: 34 says, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.” Our eyes physically see what God has given and how He has provided. If we go about life lacking in thankfulness toward Him and pursue worldly desires instead, our whole self can become darkened, seeking the ways of the evil one through our own selfish ambition. This may seem dramatic, but lack of gratitude leads to a lot of negativity, so it is necessary to practice thankfulness.
The Good of Being Thankful
Thankfulness is a good thing. It’s good to realize that the big and little things in life are all a blessing and it’s important to recognize those blessings. But true thankfulness should be something that overwhelms the heart.
Having a thankful heart isn’t as simple as going around saying thank you to God for everything you have and thanking everyone around you for all they do. That may be a great place to start, but gratitude is about understanding your place in this world and how everything is influenced by God. His investment in you is demonstrated by His love, mercy and compassion. We know we are truly thankful when we become more gracious and are enriched by generosity and selflessness.
Being Thankful Encourages the Heart
Another benefit of gratitude is the building up of self and of others. Giving thanks is encouraging. Thanking someone for what they did encourages their heart, but recognizing their efforts, encourages us. Offering words of thankfulness to someone, gives them a glimpse of Christ’s character who thanked God continuously throughout His ministry.
Thanking God gives us courage and strength. It helps us recognize how God is working in our lives, which can provide an opportunity to see beyond ourselves, placing our insecurity in the hands of our Father. Being thankful relieves anxiety and dissatisfaction. Philippians 4:6 says “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Being thankful to the Lord can be synonymous with prayer, meaning the two go hand in hand. When we feel like we have nothing to be thankful for, if we go to God, thanking Him for being God, He can return us to a place of contentment and satisfaction. Colossians 4:2 reminds us to “Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Our prayers can simply be lists of adoration and thanksgiving, encouraging our hearts as we pour them out to the Lord in gratitude.
The Spirit of Thankfulness
God has a thankful heart, Christ has a thankful heart, therefore the Spirit has a thankful heart. So, when the Spirit resides in us, we naturally will become thankful. Though we are still impacted by our worldly habits and negative influences, overtime gratitude will become a common practice. When it becomes easy to thank someone or to thank God for something (big or small) you know that you are becoming more like Christ, which is beautiful!
Here’s a eco-friendly tote bag and canvas that remind you to give thanks to the Lord because His love endures forever.
