BEING GRATEFUL

Based on the Message of Sis. Cora Langi

Sometimes, it is not natural for us to be thankful. It is easier to see the negative things in circumstances and people than to thank God. We forget to thank God for what we have and we complain about what we do not have. However, God wants us to be a thankful people. The truth is there are so many things we can thank God for in a day!

The following are three reasons why we should thank the Lord. It is not an exhaustive list for we will never run out of reasons to thank God. We can never thank Him enough and when we start, it is endless.

Thankfulness Keeps us in God's Presence

Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

In the Tabernacle of Moses, the people had to pass through the gate to enter the Outer Court. It is the same entrance as well for the priest who can come to the Holy Place and the high priest who can enter the Holy of Holies. Hence, thankfulness is the spiritual entrance by which we can approach the Lord. Psalm 95:2-3 tells us, "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods."

We cannot enter the presence of God with a complaining spirit. Sometimes, it is so subtle that we do not realize we are already complaining. We have to understand that it is a serious issue to the Lord.

In the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness, we remember that it is complaining that disqualified them from entering the Promised Land. They kept remembering Egypt and they even despised the manna which God had provided for them. "We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes" (Numbers 11:5).

What a fearful thing to fall short of the purposes of God! For that first generation that came out of Egypt, God vowed that they will not enter His rest.

We would do well if we have a thankful heart instead of a complaining spirit. It is easy to exude an attitude of gratitude when things are going well but we really learn to be grateful when we are faced with difficult situations.

What is our attitude when unfavorable circumstances come our way? How do we react when adversity strikes?

Amid difficulties, we can always find something to thank for. Gratefulness is the antidote to a complaining spirit.

How can we develop an attitude of gratitude? Let us learn to appreciate. John Hyde was an American missionary to India. There was a time when he had difficulty relating with a fellow missionary. So he went to God in prayer and he received an answer. God told him to look for something good in the fellow missionary and start thanking God for it. John Hyde obeyed God and as he prayed, his heart changed. He and the other missionary became excellent co-laborers in God's vineyard.

Appreciate people at work, at home, and even at church. Let us say something and start looking for something to thank people and God for. Keep a positive outlook and a thankful spirit amidst difficulties. Let us ask ourselves, "What lesson can I learn from this situation?" Look for the hidden blessings in every challenge and make the most out of it.

When we complain, we forget the goodness of God; it is like having spiritual amnesia. But when we look back at what God has done in the past, we remember His goodness and faithfulness and gratitude will well up in our hearts. Thanking God daily will change our lives. We can thank God by verbally telling Him in prayer or by writing about our thanksgiving to Him in a journal. Then we will find ourselves in the presence of God and understand that there's truly nothing better than staying in His presence.

Thankfulness Makes us Joyful

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We can never rejoice without being thankful. Thankfulness is a key ingredient to joy and joy gives us strength. Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength."

Research says that thankfulness has many benefits like better health, longevity and more. Apparently, gratitude improves health, relationships, emotions, personality, career, etc. People who are thankful have more good feelings; they are more relaxed and have more happy memories. They are also not envious. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us about love and one of its characteristics is that it is does not envy. We want to be free from envy!

Those who are thankful are less materialistic according to studies (Amin). They are less self-centered, more optimistic, and have good self-esteem. We want to be thankful and content with the way He made us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:14).

Thankful people are also friendlier people, have healthier marriages, and have deeper friendships. Other benefits of gratitude are improved sleep, increased energy, less sickness and long life. Thankful people also make good managers; they are goal achievers, have better decision-making skills and productivity. Five minutes of gratitude a day is said to result in 10% more well-being (Amin).

Thankfulness Releases Breakthrough

Lastly, thankfulness releases supernatural increase and breakthrough. In Matthew 15:32-39, Jesus performed the miracle of multiplying the bread and the fish for 4,000 people excluding women and children. In the story, Jesus didn't want to send away the people without feeding them. He asked the disciples what they had and found out that they had some bread and a few fish. Jesus gave thanks and the food multiplied. Everyone had their fill and seven baskets of leftover were gathered afterward.

What a notable miracle! When this happened, Jesus did not entreat in prayer, He thanked the Father.

God does not expect us to produce on our own but He asks us what we have. He takes it and through it, He releases the breakthrough in our life, in our community, in our church and even nation. 

What breakthrough do you need? It may seem impossible with human agency but with God, nothing is impossible. But it takes gratefulness and humility as we wait upon the Lord for His promises to be unlocked and revealed in our lives. Let us be thankful to the Lord everyday of our lives.

Thank You, Lord!


Source:
Amin, Amit. “The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn’t Know About: How Gratitude Can Change Your Life.” Happier Human, Mar. 2016. happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/.