1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV): “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Too often, we save our gratitude for special days ... Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s Day. On these occasions, we make a conscious effort to express our appreciation or acknowledge our blessings in life. Thankfulness, however, should not be a novelty we put on once a year like our reindeer sweaters. Instead, we need to daily cultivate a heart of thanksgiving and a lifestyle that reflects thankfulness. Zig Ziglar said, “Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life changing.”
This is something that most parents try to instill in children at a young age. We remind our kids of the two magic words...please and thank you. For some reason, though, the “please” tends to stick more than the “thank you.” Why? The answer is simple. ”Please” gets me what I want; it is for me and about me (I get something for it). “Thank you,” on the other hand, is for someone else (the giver of the gift). It is so easy to always keep the focus on me.
Jesus set the perfect example of a thankful heart throughout His life on Earth. We read in the Gospels how He gave thanks before breaking bread with the disciples (Luke 22:19); He gave thanks before feeding the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21); He gave thanks before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-57). In all things, the Son of God kept His focus on the Father. The result? He maintained an attitude of gratitude, and so should we!
You are blessed today!
Theresa
Too often, we save our gratitude for special days ... Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s Day. On these occasions, we make a conscious effort to express our appreciation or acknowledge our blessings in life. Thankfulness, however, should not be a novelty we put on once a year like our reindeer sweaters. Instead, we need to daily cultivate a heart of thanksgiving and a lifestyle that reflects thankfulness. Zig Ziglar said, “Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life changing.”
This is something that most parents try to instill in children at a young age. We remind our kids of the two magic words...please and thank you. For some reason, though, the “please” tends to stick more than the “thank you.” Why? The answer is simple. ”Please” gets me what I want; it is for me and about me (I get something for it). “Thank you,” on the other hand, is for someone else (the giver of the gift). It is so easy to always keep the focus on me.
Jesus set the perfect example of a thankful heart throughout His life on Earth. We read in the Gospels how He gave thanks before breaking bread with the disciples (Luke 22:19); He gave thanks before feeding the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21); He gave thanks before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-57). In all things, the Son of God kept His focus on the Father. The result? He maintained an attitude of gratitude, and so should we!
You are blessed today!
Theresa
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