The Attitude of Gratitude

I think that there are times in everybody’s life where we tend to neglect thankfulness and show appreciation. It is common in our day to day lives that things do not go as planned and we complain about the situations that affect us in adverse ways. Maybe we are looking forward to a great vacation and it rains the entire week. Perhaps we are tired and hungry from a long day at work only to get home to discover that power is out and there is no means to cook or to shower. Maybe you are going on that special date with your spouse when you get in your car and it will not start.
It can be frustrating, disappointing and discouraging. In these moments, many people find themselves struggling to be grateful and thankful as they know they should. After all, we may have rain, but we are not dying of thirst. We may not have power, but we still have a home. The car may not start, but we still have the opportunity to embrace a loved one. Looking on the positive side of things is a principal that is laced through the scriptures as it calls us to be thankful.
In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. We are challenged to always remember that whatever the circumstance may be, we can be thankful for the blessed hope that God provides as we walk the path he has placed our feet upon. One way to be continuously thankful is to remember that Jesus has redeemed humanity from sin through his sacrifice on Calvary. As Christians, we are not doomed to destruction, but we have the hope of heaven and an eternity with the Lord.
Furthermore, if we take inventory of the goodness of God in our lives, we can see just how much we have to be thankful for. The writer of Psalm says, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds”. A prominent hymn tells us to “Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done.”
Additionally, we know that whatever the trouble; whatever the need; whatever the circumstance: God is in control. Psalms 28:7 tells us that, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.“
We can and should be thankful that God is working on our behalf. We do not fight the battles and struggles of life alone because God is always with us. He is our defender, our redeemer, our comforter and our friend. He says, “He will never leave us or forsake us; even to the end of all things” (Matthew 28:20).
During this season of Thanksgiving, I hope every one of us will take a little time to consider all the things that make our life in Christ a life worth living. God is Good All the Time; All the Time, God is Good!