Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. - I Thessalonians 5:18
Yesterday, we began talking about what true gratitude looks like based on Scripture. We talked about how we can be thankful in every circumstance because of Jesus, and we can practice habitual gratitude. But that’s not all there is to Paul’s challenge in today’s key verse surrounding thankfulness. Let’s dive into more of what biblical gratitude looks like.
In addition to being habitually thankful, we should also be happily thankful. I’ve learned that anything that God commands me to do is always for my best and for my benefit. A grateful person will be a happier person. A grateful person will be a holier person. A grateful person will be a healthier person.
You may not always feel thankful, but you should work harder to think about saying “Thank you.” It is better to say, “Thank you” and not really mean it, than to mean it and not really say it. Being grateful will have a positive effect on you because happiness and joy follow gratitude. So we need to be happily thankful.
Finally, we need to be humbly thankful. I don’t know what you are going through right now, what burdens you may be bearing, or what trouble you might be in. If you are completely ungrateful and there is not an ounce of gratitude in your heart, even in the midst of your circumstances, you are out of the will of God.
Now, be encouraged. When Paul says this is the will of God, he is not only saying this is what God desires for you to do, but it is what God enables you to do. God never commands us to do anything He does not give us the power to do. I know I can give thanks in all things because it is God’s will, and what God wants me to do and wills me to do, He enables me to do.
Remember, God’s will for you is always what is best for you. An attitude of gratitude will change your life. It will shield you from cynicism. It will keep you from criticism. It will protect you from pessimism. It will draw you close to God and will draw God close to you. If you have a heart for God, you will have a grateful heart. Thankfulness will change the way you see things if you choose to practice it humbly.
Dear Lord, I want to be a happy and humble person, and I now see that both of these things start with thankfulness. Thank you for all that you have blessed me with. Thank you for always having my best interest in mind, and thank you for loving me so much that you sent your Son to die for me. I pray that out of my thankfulness, happiness and humility would flow. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Topics: Thankful
