4 Things About Thankfulness

The holiday of Thanksgiving is deeply rooted in Christian traditions. It’s a time when families, friends, and entire communities come together to express gratitude for the blessings they have received. Thanksgiving serves as a reminder to be thankful for God’s provision and grace, which are great things to celebrate. 

Stop Complaining And Start Thanking…

I have been told that I have a “Thankful Spirit.” I guess I never realized that characteristic in myself until I started to notice how many people didn’t display that characteristic. In fact, I started to realize there seemed to be more people outside of the church of Jesus Christ that were more thankful than those that were inside, and that should not be the case. The constant complaints that I hear from “Christians” inside the walls of the church, and at ministry meetings are extremely damaging to the true heart of God Himself. Can’t we all just be thankful for the people God has placed in our life? Can’t we all just be thankful for what God has blessed us with in our life? Can’t we all just be thankful for our jobs that God has given us? Obviously not, but when will we understand that complaining crushes joy? Now, maybe not your joy, because I’m pretty sure some people find great pleasure in complaining, but I promise you, your complaining crushes the joy of everyone around you. 

Christians should be filled with joy, and thanksgiving. It should be who we are as believers, followers, and disciples of Jesus Christ. Giving and receiving is the entire theme of the Bible. God is gracious, and a giving God. That truth in itself should be enough to give us all something to be thankful for. Being thankful is incredibly important in our lives and it’s a beautiful practice that is emphasized in both Bible verses and Christian traditions. The Bible has plenty to say about gratitude and thankfulness, let’s look at just a few places where the Bible encourages thankfulness. 

Simple Scriptures On Thankfulness…

1st Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (NKJV) Have you ever thought, “What does God want me to do?” Here is an answer to consider in all of our lives, be thankful for everything. We may not be certain if God wants us to have a bigger house, a newer car, take another vacation, or attend this university or that university, but one thing we know for sure, God wants us to be thankful. This verse reminds us to express gratitude in every situation, recognizing that God’s will for us includes a heart of thankfulness. The heart is central for who we are as a person, and at the center of every Christian’s life should be thankfulness. God wants us to be thankful.

Another simple verse to be reminded of when talking about thankfulness is found in Psalm 107:1 which says, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (NKJV) This verse encourages us to give thanks to the Lord because of His goodness and enduring love. God’s mercy endures forever. When was the last time you looked to the Heavens and said, “God, thank You.” If it’s been a minute, let me encourage you to do that sometime very soon. Before this day is over, make it a priority to thank God. He is good to you. His grace continues to reach down to you. His mercy is new every single day, and it never runs out. In my personal life, I have found that there are 4 things about thankfulness that will instantly improve anyone’s life. Let me share them with you. 

First, thankfulness cultivates humility. Being thankful helps us cultivate humility by recognizing that all good things come from God Himself. Being thankful reminds us that it’s not about our degrees, potentials, credentials, or even hard work, but we are fully dependent on His grace and provision. Our world needs more people that understand how powerful humility can be. Humility and thankfulness go hand and hand. I have never met a humble person that wasn’t grateful or a grateful person that wasn’t humble. Pride is the enemy of the servant of God. There could be no war if both sides displayed humility. There could be no divorce if both sides displayed humility. Our world desperately needs humility, but it starts with being thankful for what we have instead of pushing for more. 

Second, thankfulness changes our perspective on life. Expressing gratitude shifts our perspective from focusing on what we lack, to appreciating what we have. It helps us find contentment and joy in the present moment. Being thankful reminds us that none of us are promised tomorrow, so embrace the people, places, and even problems we are facing today. When we’re thankful we see people differently. We view the stuff of life as blessings not awards to win over our neighbors. We celebrate with those who are celebrating and we hurt with those that are hurting because we know the blessings of each situation. 

Next, thankfulness strengthens relationships. Being thankful fosters a spirit of appreciation and encourages us to acknowledge and thank others for their kindness and support. It strengthens our relationships and builds a sense of community. When your wife picks up your dirty underwear and washes them for you, tell her thanks. When someone holds the door for you at the local grocery store, tell them thanks. When someone waves you on at the stop sign, wave back at them with all five fingers, not just one. The world around us should know we are filled with gratitude. Thankfulness sets the tone in all our relationships. 

Finally, there can be no debate. Thankfulness deepens our faith in God. When we express gratitude, we acknowledge the faithfulness of God and His blessings in our lives. It deepens our trust in Him and strengthens our faith. One of my favorite passages of scripture that backs all four of these improvements found in thankfulness is found in John 11:41-42. Look at what it says, “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”(NKJV)

In this passage of scripture Jesus was about to do one of His greatest miracles while He was on this Earth. Jesus was about to raise a man from the dead that had been in a tomb for four days. Before He speaks the words, “Lazarus, come forth.”  Before He says, “Loose Him. Set him free.” Jesus looks to Heaven and says, “Father, I thank You.” Jesus looks to Heaven. He says to the Father, “Thank You.” Maybe the reason we’re not seeing even greater miracles in our own life is because we haven’t thanked God. We don’t want to miss out on anything that God is doing. We don’t want to miss out on any miracle that God is handing out. So we must not forget to thank God for everything we already have, and even what we don’t.  

Being thankful is vital in Christianity. It aligns with God’s will, is supported by Bible verses, and is reflected in Christian traditions like Thanksgiving, and Jesus Himself modeled it for us. Thankfulness cultivates humility, shifts our perspective, strengthens relationships, and deepens our faith. May we all strive to live lives filled with gratitude and appreciation for all that God has done for us.