Life Changing Gratitude

It is so easy to look around and find reasons to complain. Bills are due. Health concerns. Family members let you down. You didn’t get the promotion you felt you deserved. Maybe you have several prayer requests that have gone unanswered. Should I go on? It is easy to think about these things and think "what do I have to be thankful and grateful for" ? Here are a few reasons to be grateful despite your circumstances:

1. You can be grateful because circumstances change but God remains the same. This means that you can count on God even when everyone else turns their back on you. This means you can count on God when it seems like everything is going wrong. You can be thankful that you have a God who is faithful. You can be thankful that you have a God who can change circumstances. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and ended up becoming second in command in all of Egypt (Genesis 37:17, Genesis 41:38-41). You may be facing a tough situation right now, but the good news is that God has the ability to change your circumstance.

2. You can be grateful because you are still here. This means that God has been sustaining you despite all of the things that could have taken you out. Some of you should have died and lost your minds a long time ago, but God's mercy and grace kept you here. You have food to eat everyday whether it be ramen noodles or a T-bone steak. You have clothes to wear. You have a bed to sleep in. Your needs are being met because God cares for you! He sustained the children of Israel in the wilderness with manna from heaven (Exodus 16:35). He sustained John the Baptist in the wilderness with wild locust and honey (Matthew 3:1-4) and he will sustain you!

3. You can be grateful because you have hope. This means that no matter what it looks like, you have the victory because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. God is on your side. God has the power to do anything; and because of that, you can have hope in knowing that the God who created the universe is living on the inside of you. Daniel had hope in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:16-28).The three Hebrews had hope in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:14-25). I pray that you have hope that God will bring you through whatever distress you may be facing.

Be thankful and grateful because you have a God who cares about you. You have a God that will never leave you. You have a God who wants what is best for you. A God who watches over you. A God who gave His life for you. We have so much to be thankful for, but it all depends on your perspective. A grateful heart is an obedient heart and an obedient heart is a heart that is pleasing to God! This type of gratitude changes your life. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". Now this doesn’t mean we should be thankful that terrible things happen, but it does mean that no matter what happens, we should be grateful. The reason is given in the latter part of the verse. We give thanks because this is God’s will for our lives. How can we be thankful no matter what happens? We can do this because we believe and understand that all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). Are you grateful?

Verse of the Week:

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

I Thessalonians 5:18(ESV)