The Art of Thanksgiving

         I received a broadcast message from a dear minister of the gospel and it was quite profound; perfect for the moment: A grace-full heart is always a grateful heart; you can’t be guilty and remain thankful at the same time. Stay thankful.

         Generally, we need to learn to be thankful, not just to God but also to others. When someone does something for you, be thankful to them. It isn’t a sign of weakness, it is strength. We need to have a different attitude towards thanksgiving. Many people find it hard to even give thanks to God in church, showing that they do not practice it in their personal times of fellowship with God. They spend so much time praying and so little time thanking Him. Giving God praise should be natural for you for without thanksgiving, it is not possible to walk in faith and walk in the grace of God. A sign of sin-consciousness and guilt is ingratitude. When a man’s heart is full of the grace of God and He is conscious of the sacrifice of Jesus, he will not see the storms of life. This way, he magnifies Jesus above all else. Do not magnify your problems above the solution, which is Jesus. He is above all, and He lives in you. This is why we give thanks – because we know that whatever comes, we have overcome already.

       Learn to be grateful. Read the book of Psalms, say the thankful words of the psalmist to God and give Him praise. You should not wait until there is a physical manifestation of your desires before you give Him thanks.

        People without a grateful heart do not appreciate even the little things of life because they are always looking for the next big thing and not valuing the things they are already enjoying. That is living life from a negative place; if you keep looking for wrongs, you will find them for they are plenteous.

           You will keep the fire of God burning in your heart by being thankful. Don’t make spiritual things common in your eyes. They once made meaning to you because your heart was grateful and you found them precious; they will continue to make meaning to you if you remain grateful and hold them precious. Gratitude requires conscious effort; you decide to be grateful and stay grateful. It is an attitude that affects every area of your life. It is a winning attitude.

           Righteous people are thankful people because their eyes are on Jesus and they do not complain. They recognise that their problems do not come from God but from the devil. In Mark 4, the Bible tells us that affliction and persecution arise for the Word sake.  They see that God, who loves them, is the One with the solution and these problems simply come from the devil to take their eyes off of God’s grace.

          

People fail to give God thanks when their eyes are on themselves. You will find it difficult to give God thanks when you keep looking at your inadequacies, your mistakes and your problems. Guilt and condemnation will keep you in a place where you are not able to see the grace of God and you only see your faults. Keep your eyes on Jesus; your heart will be full of gratitude to God.