Being Thankful

“In everything give thanks.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

In a world often marked by hustle, bustle, and the relentless pursuit of success, it is easy to overlook the simple yet profound act of being thankful. 

Breathing is a complicated process. It requires physiological precision, and the average person takes about twenty-three thousand breaths a day. And while we're inclined to thank God for everything that takes our breath away, maybe we should also thank him for all of our other breaths.

In 2000, Pastor Ed Dobson was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a degenerative disease with no known cause or cure. Sharing his ongoing struggle to be thankful while living with an incurable condition, Dobson writes: 'There are many things for which I am not grateful! I can no longer button...my shirt. I can no longer put on a heavy jacket...[or] raise my right hand above my head. I can no longer write...[or] eat with my right hand. I eat with my left hand, and now even that is becoming a challenge. And over time...these challenges will get worse...So what in the world do I have to be grateful for? So much. Lord, thank you for waking me up this morning...that I can still turn over in bed...that I can still get out of bed...that I can walk to the bathroom...that I can still brush my teeth...that I can still eat breakfast...that I can still dress myself...that I can still drive my car...that I can still walk...Thank you that I can still talk...The list goes on...I have learned...to focus on what I can do, not on what I can't do. I have learned to be grateful for the small things in life and for the many things I can still do.'

What do you have to be thankful for? 'In everything give thanks' (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV).

Are you thankful no matter what? Look at the story of a man who had every right to be bitter—but wasn’t.

The next footsteps in the corridor, he knew, might be those of the guards taking him away to his execution. His only bed was the hard, cold stone floor of the dank, cramped prison cell. Not an hour passed when he was free from the constant irritation of the chains and the pain of the iron manacles cutting into his wrists and legs.

Separated from friends, unjustly accused, brutally treated—if ever a person had a right to complain, it was this man, languishing almost forgotten in a harsh Roman prison. But instead of complaints, his lips rang with words of praise and thanksgiving!

The man was the Apostle Paul—a man who had learned the meaning of true thanksgiving, even in the midst of great adversity. Earlier, when he had been imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19–20, NIV).

Think of it: Always giving thanks for everything—no matter the circumstances!

“Thanksgiving—the giving of thanks—to God for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ.”

Thanksgiving for the Apostle Paul was a daily reality that changed his life and made him a joyful person in every situation.

Thanksgiving—the giving of thanks—to God for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ. We must not allow a spirit of ingratitude to harden our heart and chill our relationship with God and with others.

Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness.

In the ancient world, leprosy was a terrible disease. It hopelessly disfigured those who had it, and it permanently cut them off from normal society. Without exception, every leper yearned for one thing: To be healed.

One day 10 lepers approached Jesus outside a village, loudly pleading with Him to heal them. In an instant He restored them all to perfect health—but only one came back and thanked Him. All the rest left without a word of thanks, their minds preoccupied only with themselves, gripped with a spirit of ingratitude.

Today, too, ingratitude and thanklessness are far too common. Children forget to thank their parents for all that they do. Common courtesy is scorned. We take for granted the ways that others help us. Above all, we fail to thank God for His blessings.

Ingratitude is a sin, just as surely as is lying or stealing or immorality or any other sin condemned by the Bible. One of the Bible’s indictments against rebellious humanity is that “although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him” (Romans 1:21, NIV). An ungrateful heart is a heart that is cold toward God and indifferent to His mercy and love. It is a heart that has forgotten how dependent we are on God for everything.

From one end of the Bible to the other, we are commanded to be thankful. In fact, thankfulness is the natural outflowing of a heart that is attuned to God. The psalmist declared, “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving” (Psalm 147:7, NIV). Paul wrote, “Be thankful” (Colossians 3:15, NIV). A spirit of thanksgiving is always the mark of a joyous Christian.

One of my favourite writers, Walter Brueggemann, says, “In the midst of the frantic voices of consumerism and competition, the Christian community must find its voice in the ancient refrain of gratitude, echoing the belief that there is enough for all, and more than enough in God’s abundance.”

Practicing gratitude is not limited to verbal expressions but also to a life committed to cultivating a heart of thankfulness. It is not just about counting blessings but acknowledging the source of those blessings — a gracious and loving God. As we heed the call to gratitude, let us echo the words of the psalmist: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” May our lives be a testament to the transformative power of gratitude, rooted in the unending grace of our Creator.

As we navigate the tapestry of our lives, let us be reminded that gratitude is not just a fleeting emotion but a deliberate choice — an acknowledgment of God’s grace at work in our lives. May this exploration of gratitude in grace serve as a reminder to approach each day with a heart full of thanksgiving. Let us be grateful not only for the blessings we can see but also for the grace that sustains us through the unseen trials. In this dance of gratitude and grace, we find a path to deeper spiritual fulfillment and a life enriched by the divine love that surrounds us.

Why should we be thankful? Because God has blessed us, and we should be thankful for each blessing.