I was taught at a very young age to say “thank you” whenever anyone did something for me or gave me something. I don’t know if it was a cultural, generational or a regional thing, but as a result, expressing my gratitude became a natural part of my life. When I encountered Jesus Christ, my gratitude took on a whole new dimension as I realized that He suffered and died for my sins. He has been a huge part of my life for over 63 years now and every day I find more and more things for which to thank Him.
Gratitude doesn’t come easy to everyone. Anne Frank wrote, “Dead people receive more flowers than the living because regret is stronger than gratitude”. Sadly, that is too often the case. Whether it is regret, a sense of entitlement or just plain self-centeredness, the enemy will use anything to crowd out or weaken our gratitude. Why? Because when our gratitude is strong we are strong. Our gratefulness chases away our doubts and fears and puts all of life’s challenges into perfect perspective.
The Psalms are filled with thankfulness and praise to God. The Psalmist even tells us to “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God…” (Psalms 50:14) The entire Bible is full of gratitude and praise for all God has done. In Colossians 3:15 Paul writes, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” When you have experienced His love and His power, thanking God comes quite naturally.
Our thankfulness for the words and deeds of others not only gives us proper perspective, but it encourages them to continue those kind words and actions. I stubbornly push myself to remain self-sufficient and independent for as long as possible, but whenever anyone holds a door for me or offers to help me I sincerely express my appreciation of their kindness. Kind acts should never be taken lightly or overlooked especially when they come from those closest to us. We must never take for granted the love and kindness of those we love. My wife was also taught to express gratitude at an early age and we expressed our gratitude for each other every day of our long marriage. We refused to let familiarity or disagreements rob us of our appreciation and gratitude for each other.
I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for visiting my blog and reading this post. I pray that the power of gratitude will become or continue to be a strong force in your life.