I once went to church with a lady, who during service would stand up and give thanks to God for allowing her to see another day. In my immature state of mind, I would think, “…that’s the same thing you said last week”. Now let me put this in context, other members were testifying about a prayer that was answered or a blessing that was received—something that was new news. But over 90% of the time—this member stood up—and told us to “taste and see that the Lord is sweet… and He’s allowed her to still be here”.
Years later, I now believe that church member had a thankful heart. She knew God for more than a gift giver of things. She knew Him as the keeper of her mind, body and soul. Psalm 9:1, tells us to give thanks and tell of the Lord’s wonderful deeds. And the most wondrous deed of all is that we’re still here. Because from here… we can move forward. We can grow in the grace and favor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Wrapped up in the cares of life, it’s not always easy to nature a thankful heart. Yet, this is the very thing we’re required to do in order to see God’s will accomplished in our lives. So, let us:
- Counts our blessings (Psalm 103: 2-5)
- Celebrate the mighty deeds of God (Psalm 9:1; Psalm 107:8; 1 Samuel 2:1-2)
- Appreciate our uniqueness… not comparing ourselves to others (I Samuel 18:8;Galatians 6:4)
- Constantly avoid complaining(Philippians 2:14-15;Exodus 16:8)
- Cultivate a heart of contentment (Psalm 50:23)
- Demonstrate a generous heart towards others (2 Corinthians 9:11-12)
- Value our resources (Mark 8:1-10; Luke 22:17-19)
- Give praise for the good times, happy times, and sad times—we can learn from them all (Hebrews 13:15; Psalms 100:4; Psalm 138:4-5; Psalm 138:6-7)
- Praise God for His love (Psalm 138:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)
- Know that being thankful can change circumstances (Acts 16:25;Psalm 138:3)
Having a thankful heart fills us with an attitude of gratitude. We no longer, think that we deserve to have everything. Or that all things should go the way we want them to go. We lose that feeling of entitlement and gain the wisdom of thankfulness. With a thankful heart, we see the good and positiveness in life and focus on that. We quickly turn away negative thoughts that come into our mind… because we now see who keeps our mind, body and spirit.
We celebrate God, life and others. As the lady who stood up in church—we too—recognize the power of a thankful heart. It leads to overflowing joy because we delight in the Lord of lords!
God Bless… I am Wiley’s granddaughter.
