Possessing an Attitude of Gratitude
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)
The phrase “attitude of gratitude” has become popular and has transitioned across social media, workplaces, and various groups and communities. This phrase has gained momentum as a reminder that people should foster gratitude in their lives. In Scripture, God’s desire is for us to have grateful hearts – Psalm 138 (ESV).
The scriptural injunctions teach us that God expects His disciples to give thanks in all things. However, unlike the arbitrariness of the phrase, “attitude of gratitude”, coined by the world, the Bible recognises both the suffering and joys in life. It is only through Christ’s victory on the cross that giving thanks in all things is possible. We cannot be grateful in everything in our own strength but through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we are able to develop a heart that is inclined towards gratitude instead of fear, doubt and worry.
Cultivating gratefulness is vital to our faith. In Luke 17:11-19 (ESV), ten Lepers approached Jesus and pleaded for Him to heal them. Jesus commanded them to go and show themselves to the priest and while on their way, they were healed from leprosy. Realising he was healed, one of them turned back and prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him. Jesus then asked, “Were not ten made clean? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him, “Rise up and go on your way; your faith has made you well”.
Friends, oftentimes God has provided for our needs but we forget to say thanks. To give thanks completes the circle and we are enriched by it; our faith increases. Jesus does not only want us to express our gratitude for the manifestation of His power in our lives, but He also wants us to testify and boast that if the Lord was not on our side, the devil, demonic principalities, and satanic emissaries would have destroyed us – Psalm 124:2.
Every test God allows us to go through is for Him to receive the glory and for us to receive the next-level anointing. The victory we receive is not for our self-aggrandisement but rather it is for advertising the miraculous, powerful, saving grace of God.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, those of us who have taken Your blessings for granted and neither give You the glory nor testify of the transformative power of Your breakthrough in our lives, we repent and humbly ask for Your forgiveness. Purge us from this attitude of ingratitude, and replace it with a spirit of gratitude, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
Read: Psalm 124:2; 2 Samuel 7:18
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 26:23-28; Proverbs 27:1-4; Hebrews 5:11-14; Hebrews 6:1-12; Ezekiel 4; Ezekiel 5; Ezekiel 6
