By Carol Round –“Oh, how grateful and thankful I am to the Lord because He is so good. I will sing praise to the name of the Lord who is above all lords.”—Psalms 7:17 (TLB).
One of my daddy’s favorite sayings was, “It doesn’t do any good to complain because no one wants to hear it.”
I find myself repeating that saying when someone asks me, “How are you doing?” While I could complain about my aches and pains, I doubt anyone cares to hear about them—unless it’s my doctor.
Recently, I spied a man walking down the sidewalk. His uneven gait and twisted body were obviously due to a birth defect. In his hand, he carried a lunch pail. After praying for him, I thought, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”
Being Thankful for God’s Grace
In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, the apostle Paul describes God’s grace. “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Paul was a persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and went from killing those who believed in Him to proclaiming the good news of Jesus. Only by God’s grace.
As sinful creatures in need of God’s grace, we should be thankful at all times and in every circumstance. But we’re not. Like Paul, we have no special qualifications that make us worthy of salvation.
Being Thankful at All Times
When we’re facing trials, it’s often difficult to be thankful. It’s easier to complain when things don’t go our way. However, I’ve discovered that being grateful stirs the spirit to give thanks to God. Study the scriptures and you’ll find reasons to give thanks to God. Here are seven great reasons:
- Give thanks for His love. (John 3:16 NIV).
- Give thanks for His provision. (Matthew 6:26 NIV).
- Give thanks for His forgiveness. (1 John 1:19).
- Give thanks for His Word. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
- Give thanks for His creation. (Psalm 136:3-9).
- Give thanks to God in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
- Give thanks to God for He has good plans for you. (Jeremiah 29:11).
Evangelist Billy Graham said this about giving thanks. “Thanksgiving—the giving of thanks—to God for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ. We must not allow a spirit of ingratitude to harden our heart and chill our relationship with God and with others.”
There is always, always, always something to be grateful for. Make a gratitude list to remind you of your blessings.
