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We should be Thankful at all Times as Believers.
Gratitude is an essential gift that any follower of Jesus should have. Psalm 95:2 says, “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” At all times, we must be grateful for everything we have or for every situation that we go through as believers. A believer will have time to thank God and avoid negative reactions such as complaints if something does not work as intended. We should learn how to be grateful to God and other people who do well to us. A life of gratitude has many benefits to Christians and everyone else that shows appreciation and returns any kindness accorded to them.
The Christian life comprises many blessings and trials of many kinds, but displaying gratitude at all times will distinguish a true believer from other people. We should thank God when we face trials, tribulations, and temptations because they all play a part in making us better and stronger Christians. Besides, God does not leave us to handle trials and temptations all alone. He gives us the strength and grace to win. Trails produce steadfastness where we become perfect and complete believers (James 1:2-4). When we are grateful, we become lovely people to have around, and our happiness increases even more. Scientifically speaking, gratitude increases happiness since it triggers the production of more dopamine hormones in our brains. Dopamine makes us feel good, and hence we become happier and joyous.
The Bible in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us that we should be grateful in all circumstances since everything that happens is the will of God for our lives in Christ Jesus. Going in the presence of God with prayer and gratitude makes us find peace and joy that we so much desire. When we go through something challenging but give thanks to God regardless of what we are facing, we shall receive grace and faith to see us through the situation. There are so many things that we should thank God for at all times, from the small things to the bigger things that we have achieved in life.
We have so many blessings that we sometimes overlook as Christians. That is why we should start the culture of counting our blessings every day as we reflect on the things that God has done for us. We should have a quiet time with God each day, especially the first thing when we wake up and show him how grateful we are for every single deed He has done for us. We have friends and family that stand with us, and hence we should thank God for them. Besides, we have food, shelter, jobs, and clothes, but sometimes we see these things as just ordinary, and we take them for granted.
All these things are great blessings, even if we have them every day. Sometimes we may need a better house, healthier food, and more luxurious cars, but even before we complain and ask for more, we should remember that millions of people are starving, others are sick, while others sleep on the streets with nothing to wear. When we think about that, we shall learn how blessed we are and stop taking such blessings for granted. If we thank God for these blessings, we find ourselves loving him even more, walking in obedience, giving more to the needy, and becoming more humble all for his glory.
As believers, we should always thank God for salvation. Many people die without knowing Christ, but we have been saved, and we are assured of eternal life. We were born sinners, but when we believed and accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we received the gift of salvation, and hence we are saved from death and eternity in hell (Romans 6:23). In fact, God loved us even before we did, and he sent his only Son Christ Jesus, to die for our sins (Romans 5:6-11). God’s love is so great, and it endures forever, and thus we should always thank him for it (Psalm 106:1-2). Apart from salvation, He has also given us other spiritual blessings, such as the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (John 14:16-17). We should also be grateful because we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ once we receive this gift of salvation (Romans 8-17).
A habit of displaying gratitude to God and the people around us has many benefits, and as believers, we should focus on these benefits. First and foremost, the automatic benefits that we gain from showing gratitude are reduced stress, better relationships, and increased self-esteem. These benefits help us to have healthier lives.
When we embrace the attitude of thankfulness, we start focusing on what we have been given freely by God, and hence we do not envy or covet other people’s blessings. We focus our eyes only on God through gratitude and not other people’s lives, relationships, or possessions. When we focus on God with grateful hearts, it becomes a unique way of giving him our worship. Gratitude to God is a way of worship that helps us out-pour our love for him because of his good deeds in our lives.
Gratitude also helps to avoid living in worries and anxieties. Gratitude will help shift our focus from the struggles and challenges that we face every day to focus on what is working for our good. If all we think about is our challenges, then we become anxious about the uncertainties of the future. That is why Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6 that we should not be anxious about anything, but we should present our requests to God with prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. Through that, we shall overcome our fears because we are contented with what we have at any moment, and we are sure that God will help us in every circumstance in the future.
Gratitude also shows how much we depend on God, and hence it is a sign of humility that we cannot do it all on our own. When we rely on God, He remains faithful to meet our needs and the desires of our hearts according to his riches in glory.
Indeed, we have a lot to thank God for, yet we rarely practice this noble virtue of gratitude. We are fond of complaining about what we don’t have that we forget to be thankful to God for all that we have. The story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19 shows how much most of us struggle with gratitude. Let us learn to thank God every day regardless of our needs because we are forever indebted to God. May God be with you, have a great day!
Originally posted 2021-08-01 08:33:00.
