Be Thankful
Be
Thankful
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as
members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts".
Seems simple enough, why is it so difficult? "Always be thankful"...
another "simple" command and yet so hard. Finding peace and being thankful...challenging, but a great place to start. One of the best things that can happen to us is to be
thankful for what we have done for others. It is difficult to combine being a complainer and being
grateful. It has been said that a thankful heart is the parent of all virtues.
It is also true that a lack of gratitude is a root sin.
A grateful heart is quick to see what is good and chooses to be thankful for it.
Focus
on the goodness of God.
Start your day with prayer and reading of God's Word. Encountering God through His Word will remind you of how good, faithful, and amazing He is. We can quickly forget the good things God has done in our lives. When you focus on your needs, you become anxious but when you focus on the goodness of God, we cannot help but be grateful. Our human desire for thanks is an echo from the heart of God. He, too, wants to be thanked. He expects us to show our gratitude for all His wonderful goodness to us
Be
quick and prompt in saying, "Thank You" to others. People appreciate the words “Thank you”. We
obtain joy and give respect with great admiration toward the one who utters
those words. We appreciate those who think to say those words and show their
interest in what has been done for them.
Anger and Complaints must be controlled, but gratitude must overflow. Make it a habit to say "thank you" to everyone who has helped you and done you an act of kindness. When we use “thank you,” we demonstrate gratitude and appreciation for what another does.
Be thankful if you wake up every morning. Be thankful that we breathe and live. Be thankful that no one gets sick. Be thankful that we have a spiritual family that we can count on. Be thankful that our salvation is in Christ alone. If you want to be more grateful, always say thank you without getting tired. Many things to be thankful for, no matter how small or big in our eyes, our gratitude should still be overflowing.
Our call is
to live from a grateful heart. Giving of our time, talent, or treasure
motivated purely, or even primarily, from a sense of duty or obligation maybe
rooted in a failure to recognize the grandeur, the magnitude, of God’s lavish
gift is given
When we are grateful, we don’t lose sight of the pain and suffering in human life. We don’t deny, or attempt to conceal, the sorrows and frustrations of daily living, and the enormous suffering in the wider world. We do not turn our backs on the hurts and injustices that must be faced as we live in a broken and sinful world. But being grateful does allow us to see the challenges of life from the perspective of God’s gift constantly being offered, even and especially amidst pain and suffering, grief and anxiety.
Gratitude
is an attitude that comes from a heart that sees and understands what has been
and is being done for us. “Thank you” is an expression to God and others of how
we have benefitted by their grace, kindness, support, and benevolence. Perhaps
all of us could be more thankful, even for the little things.
Gratitude—going beyond simply saying, “Thanks!”—is a habit that is often developed through hardship, even suffering and difficulty. Sincere thanksgiving embraces what you are thankful for and to whom you are grateful.
If
we allow God's peace to take full control of our hearts, gratitude will be its
overflow. Count the things you should be thankful for and be
thankful for now.
We have so much to be thankful for: may God make us thankful people! Plainly it is God’s will for us to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful. WALK-IN PEACE, LOVE AND HUMILITY AND BE THANKFUL IN ALL THINGS.
Father
thank you for the gift of life, thank you that you have always been there for
us, provided for us, encouraged us, and above all for your word that heals,
instructs, pours wisdom, strengthens us, and more. Thank you for equipping us with special
qualities to share with others. Even when experiencing the downfalls of life,
we have peace in our hearts knowing that you are always here. May we continue to live by your word
alone in all that we do in your mighty, precious name we pray. Amen