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Thankfulness

I am amazed at how ungrateful some can be at times. As I sat in the waiting area of a VA hospital recently I watched and listened as a man walked down the hallway complaining about how aggravated he was about the hospital. And it wasn't the "mumble to yourself" type of complaining. It was more like a public broadcast. As I observed this going on I thought to myself how presumptuous and ungrateful it sounded...a very unattractive scene. Then I thought about how I must look whenever I am not thankful.

It's bad enough when anyone is unthankful but an ungrateful Christian is especially heinous. To have anything at all is a blessing beyond measure because we deserve none of it. Considering that the only thing we ever deserved was judgment we should be overwhelmed with gratitude, which in turn will produce humility. An ungrateful person is a proud person and God hates pride. It is impossible to be thankful and complaining at the same time.

And what motivator thankfulness is. When we are truly thankful for the indescribable grace that is ours through Christ it motivates us to obedience. Just as ungratefulness is unappealing, true gratefulness is very appealing. There is just something about a thankful person that attracts others. Think about this. We know that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." By the way that would make Jesus the most blessed of all. Anyway...have you ever noticed how more blessed it is to give or to do for someone who is genuinely thankful? Something about it makes you want to do even more it seems.

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "...in everything give thanks..." Notice the qualifier; "in everything." Why? For one thing it's "God's will for you in Christ Jesus." And why shouldn't we be? Of all people to be thankful...

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17)

Thankful people are more joyful and even tend to be healthier...

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." (Prov. 17:22)

Make no mistake. An unbelieving world is watching...and just as forgiveness confounds them, I believe a constant attitude of gratitude does also. Sooner or later someone is going to want to know how this can be.

Our ability to live the gospel and our willingness to declare the gospel are proportionate to our thankfulness in receiving the gospel.

There is a little chorus we sing that simply says, "Give thanks with a grateful heart...Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son."

One thing will forever be certain...