Did you know that being grateful is God’s will for our lives? The Lord has called us to be thankful—to express our gratitude and thanksgiving to God and the people around us! We will face all kinds of circumstances in our everyday lives, but we must remember that every day is a new day and His word says to rejoice (an expression of gratitude) in it!
"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 NLT
I want to share with you three short and simple reasons as to why our gratitude and thanksgiving is important and how it can change your life!
1. Gratitude is a form of worship:
A heart that continually expresses gratitude and thankfulness is a heart that continually worships God.
"I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30
We must be grateful to God—not only for what He has given us but simply for who He is. God has shown His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8) We can offer a sacrifice of praise when our heart is full of gratitude; and a heart full of gratitude will lead us to speak and do things that reflect our thankfulness and bring glory to His name. Each and every day we must thank God for His goodness, His faithfulness, and His steadfast love. Our gratitude is a result of recognizing His presence in our lives.
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 107:1 NLT
2. Gratitude should be our response in all circumstances:
A grateful heart is a heart that trusts in God in all circumstances.
Gratitude is a mindset! We are commanded to be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for our lives.
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
When we choose to be thankful in all circumstances, we are training our heart and mind to shift its focus from a complaining heart to a grateful heart. We often think that our gratitude depends on the circumstance or how we are feeling; however, we shouldn’t think that gratitude should only be expressed in good times—the key is being grateful in difficult times. We prove that our faith is genuine when we are grateful in every season, demonstrating that our future is in His hands. Our lack of gratitude or being in a state of ungratefulness has to do with our heart and mind! We must enter each challenge in our lives with thankfulness, understanding that everything works together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
3. Gratitude brings joy and peace to the heart!
A grateful heart is a heart full of joy.
"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
Did you know that having a grateful and thankful heart will guard us from being anxious? When we choose to be thankful, we are giving the enemy no room to come to God with a complaining spirit before Him. Our gratefulness allows the joy of the Lord to fill our hearts. Our thankfulness allows the peace of God to guard our hearts.
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15 NLT
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