Gratitude Part 3
PART 3: GRATITUDE
In part 1 of this series, we learned how essential gratitude is to our spiritual well being, and how important it is to God. In part 2, we discussed 6 realities to remember about who we are and who God is that will help us to be grateful. Now, here are some practical ways to develop the discipline of gratitude:
1. Remember that gratitude is a choice. If we are commanded to be grateful, then we can choose to be grateful because God enables us to do what He commands when we are born again. (Philippians 4:13) It is a choice that comes from a heart of worship. Psalm 50:14 says, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High.” Psalm 116:7 says, “To You I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord.” Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I have been trying to consciously tell God that I choose to praise you and give thanks to You even when my heart is breaking or troubled. I trust Him and know He is good no matter what my circumstances are. Nancy De Moss in her book Choosing Gratitude says, “The grateful heart that springs forth in joy is not acquired in a moment; it is the fruit of a thousand choices.” (page 68)
2. Look for things to be thankful for. We need to make this a daily habit. It is helpful to express your thankfulness about specific things to your family members and friends. It can be as simple as being thankful for the car working well today, being safe that night, or being able to afford groceries at the store that day. I am frequently thankful for my garden because the flowers remind me of God’s goodness, and I get a lot of joy out of them. God has showered us with so many blessings that we take for granted. When my kids were little, sometimes if they were having a bad attitude, I would ask them to write down 10 things that they were thankful for. One time in desperation I made all of us write out 100 things we were thankful for. That seems daunting at first, but once you get going it is quite easy. And writing out those blessings brings a change in attitude! There are so many things to be thankful for. How about being thankful for simple things like seeing in color, for the variety of foods to eat, for warm houses in winter, for the beauty of each season, for music, for working eyes and ears and sense of smell? You see how easy it is to keep thinking of things to be thankful for when you start? The list is endless. Your whole outlook on life changes as you do this.
There is something to be thankful for in every situation. In the book Choosing Gratitude, Nancy tells this story on page 186: “Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. But one Sunday morning, the weather was so dank and gloomy that the church members said among themselves, ‘Certainly the preacher won’t think of anything to thank the Lord for on such a wretched day.’ Much to their surprise, however, Whyte stepped to the pulpit that dreary morning and began by praying, ‘We thank Thee, Lord, that it is not always like this.’ There are blessings in your life and mine that ‘no eye has seen nor ear heard’-blessings that only show themselves by not showing up…for example, think of the miles you’ve driven without getting a flat tire…Perhaps you’re hobbled by a medical problem or two, but think of a dozen you’ve never experienced.” She also says on page 86: “Ungrateful people are much like a container that has a hole in it, leaking out every blessing that’s been poured in, always needing something else, something new to consume for satisfaction fuel.”
An old hymn we used to sing when I was young is Count Your Blessings. It says, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed; when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost; count your many blessings, name them one by one; And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, and you will be singing as the days go by. Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God has done; Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God has done.”
One way we can find things to be thankful for is to remember what God has done in the past. In Scriptures, we are often encouraged to remember God's works. In Deuteronomy 4:9, the Israelites are exhorted: "Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life..." We can look at the tragic history of Israel to see the consequences of forgetting God and His works which led to being ungrateful and then disobedient. We can often look back at trials and realize that there was much good that came out of them, and that God worked in amazing ways! God was faithful to fulfill his promise in Romans 8:28! I have had celiac disease since I hit puberty, which is an autoimmune disease triggered in my body by eating gluten. It was not diagnosed properly until I was in my late 30’s. I struggled all those years with physical weakness, frequent illnesses, terrible rashes and a frustration with doctors because no one could find anything wrong with me. Even though I am in much better physical health now because I have not eaten gluten for almost 15 years, I look back at those years and am incredibly grateful for the suffering. I am grateful because I learned to depend on God and to know how incredibly weak I am in spirit and body. I learned the goodness of God and drew near to Him and learned to rely on His word at an early age. I learned that I am nothing and can do nothing apart from Him. (John 15:4-5) Every day was a struggle, but God was faithful to be my strength and help me to do what He called me to do each day. I wouldn’t give up those lessons for anything.
3. Remember that the root of our grateful attitude is going to be found in God’s word. We need to read it and study it to know God, and to remember who we are and who He is. We also need to think on it to help us to have the right attitude. I want to encourage you to memorize Scripture so that you can think on it when discouragement and a lack of gratitude swoops into your thoughts. We need to have Scripture in our mind to replace destructive, negative thoughts with truths that are lovely and admirable and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). I have a whole page on my website on memorizing Scripture. When our family member cut us off without explanation in the fall of 2023, I typed up various Scriptures that remind me of who God is and remind me to trust Him and be thankful no matter what. They have been a lifeline for me mentally and emotionally each day. And so have the Scriptures that I have memorized through the years. God is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46) and source of joy (Psalm 16:11), but we can only access that through thinking on His word and through constant prayer. A grateful attitude is rooted in knowing God’s word and dwelling on it.
4. Remember that we can always be thankful for our salvation and hope of heaven no matter what! Even if we ended up in solitary confinement in a prison cell because of our faith, we can be thankful that God is with us, that He has redeemed us, and that He will bring us to heaven one day and make everything right. Let us cling to those things to be thankful for even if we are in a really difficult trial. The martyr Polycarp’s last words are an encouragement to us and show an attitude of gratitude that enabled him to stand firm to the end: “The governor asks him to deny Christ and promises that if he will, his life will be spared. But the faithful bishop answers, “Fourscore and six years have I served Him, and He has never done me injury; how then can I now blaspheme my King and savior?’” (From www. Christianhistoryinstitute.org )
Let us be “overflowing with gratitude” as Colossians 2:7 admonishes us. We can only be that way when we understand who we are, and who God is, and make a conscious effort guided by His word to thank Him even when times are tough. I want to close with a link to this song on thankfulness which should be our heart’s cry:
My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness (Official Lyric Video) - Keith & Kristyn Getty
Bible verses to memorize in response to this blog: Philippians 4:8; Psalm 116:17
For questions or feedback, you can contact me at candice@anastasihome.com