“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
In a world such as ours where we are taught to be ambitious, goal driven and vision trackers, it’s often easy to get overwhelmed when our life takes a slow turn in achieving our desired result. Many times, we tend to focus hard on what we want or don’t have and we lose track of what we have and how far we have come. A life of thanksgiving helps redirect our minds and removes us from a state of worry.
Having an attitude of thanksgiving shouldn’t be done only when our life is full of colours and all paths to our goals seem smooth, it should be embedded in our daily life.
For us as believers, thanksgiving to God isn’t just a mere action, it is our lifestyle. We are to show gratitude in action, every day and all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thanksliving should be evident in our attitude and seen in our daily actions. Thanksgiving is our way of life.
Having a life of thanksgiving births a consciousness to not only be thankful in good times but also in our trial times. On days where we feel like crying out and shouting, on days when we feel like the world is against us and things aren’t going as planned, remember the words of Paul in Philippians 4:6, do not be anxious, do not be fearful, do not let the worries of the world envelope your heart, instead, pray and give thanks.
Being thankful to God shows an assurance that we trust God to settle our worries. And in good times, thanksgiving portrays a heart of gratitude to our Father. Thanksgiving shouldn’t be defined by what happens around us, for it is who we are (believers with a heart of thanks).
In John 6:11, we see Jesus give thanks to God for the five loaves and two fishes. He wasn’t worried about how it will happen or if it will be enough to feed the five thousand, instead, He trusted God and gave thanks. Thanksgiving is an act of trust in God.
“I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.” – Psalms 9:1 NLT
A life full of thanks acknowledges God for who He is and all He has done. We can thank God that He is merciful, loving, gracious, patient, forgiving and faithful. We can also thank God for salvation, provision, opportunities, and open doors. We can thank Him for answered prayers, our family and our health. This list is endless, what a good God we serve!
So, just like the leper who returned to thank Jesus in Luke 17:11-19, remember to thank God for all He has done. And even in times when things don’t turn out fine, give thanks to God, for you know He will see you through. Count your blessings and give thanks in psalms, hymns and in worship. Develop a life of thanksgiving.
Bible Reading Plan:
John 2:1-11, James 3:1-12, Ecclesiastes 4, Jeremiah 12-13