In Everything, Not For Everything!
Hey Friends,
Let me give you a challenge today: be grateful. Work on, develop and increase in your attitude of gratitude. The Bible is full of admonitions and encouragements to be thankful, grateful, and worshipful. It is almost impossible to have a great attitude if you are not grateful. The Scripture says, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
This is a great command for us! One of the words in this verse is small but packs a powerful punch – in, not for! We are to give thanks in everything, not for everything. If we thanked God for every bad thing that happened in our lives we would be in need of some serious help. We are to give thanks in every situation, not for every hurt and difficulty.
With that thought in mind, it is far easier to live with an attitude of gratitude. Here are four ways to help you develop that attitude:
1. Make a choice to be thankful. Just decide right now you will be grateful for God and all His blessings, no matter what.
2. Start saying it! Today start to tell God, “Thank you!” for all He is doing.
3. Make a list. Write down everything you are grateful for. If you read it daily and expand the list you will grow in gratitude.
4. Make sure every day is Thanksgiving for you. Let everyone around you see how grateful you are to God and how grateful you are for them. People will want to be around you more. It will affect and effect every area of your life and make worship much more enjoyable.
Leaders, you and I are supposed to model this daily. Walk it and talk it! No one should wonder if you have an attitude of gratitude.
Just a thought to prepare you for Thursday.
Love you and I am very grateful for you.
Pastor
5 Comments
This has been neat to ponder over this morning. I was all set to disagree with you, but I reflected over some verses and reread your post. There are two things to be thankful for: our blessings from God and our hope in God. Provision, great things in our lives, and areas where God has moved are all blessings that we have received. In bad circumstances, we can be thankful for the hope we have in God. Yeah, no one wants Romans 8:28 blithely quoted at them (or James 1:2-4… or James 1:12… or Romans 5:2-5), but no matter how bad we have it, we can be thankful for our God who is there with us and will bless us through it. Hope built on faith is something to be thankful for, because it’s hope that delivers (unlike cheery optimism). Being thankful for hope is being thankful for what blessings that we are confident to receive from God in the future.
Best part was to make every day Thanksgiving. Another pastor once suggested to pray and just thank God. No asks or apologies or pleases. Just thank God. Seems like I remember that suggestion every year this time, but the challenge for me is to remember it daily.
Pastor, what a great post. Thank you!
I can attest to the power of having an attitude of gratitude. A few years ago, I began a radical, wonderful transformation spiritually. I broke free of a lot of hurts from my past and was walking in freedom and victory like never before. I remember one of the most significant things that happened then was that I began to be thankful in everything, as you say.
I believe gratitude is a powerful weapon against the enemy as well as the world and our own flesh- what the sermon series has been about! When I began to be grateful for and in everything, I became so keenly aware of how God was always at work to bring me good. So when I was tempted to be discouraged or bitter at anything, I would be able to stand firm, holding up the standard of truth.
Maybe I am biased, but as a social worker, I feel strongly that service to others is important and helpful to develop an attitude of gratitude. It certainly has done this for me. Much of my work has been with people with disabilities. It has taught me to be thankful that I can brush my own teeth, that I have the ability to walk normally, and that I am able to make decisions for myself. When you pour out yourself in service to others, I believe that you begin to see every little thing as a blessing.
Thanks again for the great insight!
I agree with Katie above in all points. I used to dread housework partly because it is neverending but also because I would grumble. Then one day I realized I could be in a position where I couldn’t physically do it and then where would I be….at the mercy of someone else to do it for me; but what if there wasn’t anyone else what would I do? So that taught me to not curse my work but bless my work. I know that I am extremely blessed to have a husband whose desire is for me to be at home and works very hard for me to be able to. I also understand the benifit of troubles to cause my focus to switch from horizontal to upright and like Katie, can see God working in even more powerful ways to bring about good. In the end what ailes us now will seem so trivial. That encourages me, because I know it will end and how our attitude is will in some way be weighed. So I’m with Paul, I do not convince myself that the problems of life are of no consequence, because problems bring suffering, but that when Jesus shows up in their midst I will see glory and be joyful. The reality is,that if my problems present Jesus the opportunity to reaffirm His love for me in a different way than good times I am blessed beyond measure because it reminds me who I truly belong to and that He will NEVER leave me or forsake me.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
and
Colossians 3:23-24 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall recieve the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ.
because
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Blessed be God, even the Father of Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Understand when problems come in our lives, in some cases, it is because we haven’t made Him Lord in those areas. It is His mercies that redirect our focus through the problems to Him and “in” Him by His Spirit we overcome. And that is a most necessary and joyous reason to rejoice!!!! Oh sweet Jesus we worship You and You alone.
Years ago good friend helped me out with knowing how to pray in difficult situations. We can always be thankful for God being present and active in every situation.