I decided a long time ago that an attitude of gratitude is a good thing! You’re probably thinking ‘of course’ and waiting for something deeper, but the Bible is full of exhortation to live a life of appreciation and it shows us how effective our thankfulness can really be!
Psalm 95:13 declares, ‘Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;’ a sure indication that thankfulness is a vital springboard for having the right attitude as we come to worship.
Psalm 9:1 reads: ‘I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.’ Living out our testimony and sharing the gospel becomes so much more credible and authentic when it is done on the consistent backdrop of heartfelt gratitude.
Turning to the New Testament, the apostle Paul explains that ‘an overflow of thankfulness’ to God is a consequence of a believer with ‘deep roots’, having ‘a life built on him’, which brings ‘strong faith in the truth’ (Colossians 2:7). When we show and articulate our gratitude, we are declaring the greatness of God and the genuine nature of the gospel of Christ at work in our lives! Quite often our attitude can communicate far more authentically than words.
The challenge for us all is to live in that place of gratitude even when things don’t quite go our way or we feel out of sorts and lacking in joy. At times we may feel we have to dig deep to re-establish our thankfulness and joy. Rather than seeing an uphill struggle, I encourage us all to look to the once-occupied cross as our constant reminder that we have everything to be thankful for!
[N.B. There will be a break from the pastor’s blogs for the rest of July and August.]