Attitude of Gratitude

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  Philippians 4:4-6

One night on his way home, the Bible commentator Matthew Henry was robbed.  After this unfortunate incident he recorded this prayer in his journal: “I thank thee that I have never been robbed before.  I thank thee that even though they took my wallet, they did not take my life.  I thank thee that though they took my all, it was not much.  I thank thee that it was I who WAS robbed, and not I who robbed.”

This almost unbelievable prayer reminds us that we always have something for which to thank our Lord.  As Matthew Henry’s words demonstrate, thanksgiving is an attitude, an attitude of the heart.  It is something that is brought about inside of us because of all the wonderful things God has done for us.

On Thanksgiving, we certainly have many things to be thankful for – like family, turkey, and football – just to name a few.  But what about the times when it feels like we have nothing to be thankful for.  When the economy is bad and jobs are hard to find, heath problems or illnesses come, and family problems seem to keep growing.  Sometimes there seems to be more things to worry about than things to be thankful for.  Paul though, reminds us that we are not to worry about anything.  Our Lord’s teaching in Matthew chapter 6 also shows this.  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body; what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing…Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  Instead of becoming anxious about all the troubles and cares over which we have no control, Paul tells us to present our requests to God. 

Even though our Heavenly Father knows our thoughts, needs, and desires even before we ask Him, He still wants us to bring our requests before the throne of Grace.  One of the greatest joys and blessings we have as Children of God is the invitation to cast all our anxieties on God - because He cares for us.  What God is saying is that there is nothing to worry about because in everything, no matter what the concern, the request may be brought before Him.

All of us can think of times when we don’t feel much like giving thanks.  God’s promise to us is this – nothing can separate us from Him and His love and His Salvation won through Christ!  Since we have this fantastic promise, we can thank God even for life’s hardest times, knowing that he is at work in them – for us – for our good!  When we give thanks, even when we don’t feel especially thankful, hope and encouragement begin to grow in our hearts.  Thankfulness will then follow.  We live in a negative, ungrateful world.  But in the midst of all the pessimism, God calls us to exercise thanksgiving.  He is faithful to bless His people with reasons to be thankful no matter what situations we face in life.

Once again this Thanksgiving - God’s Word directs us to be thankful – not for His benefit, but for ours – because it will change our lives for the better.  When we’re not at our best, we give thanks that God always is.  When we are unmerciful, we thank God for his unconditional mercy.  When we tell or spread lies, we are thankful that we can turn to the one who always leads us in truth.  When life’s circumstances leave us in a cloud of anxiety, God meets our prayers and words of thankfulness with peace in Jesus.  Even when life threatens to crush us, we have God’s promise to work in the worst of circumstances for our good!  What great reasons to be thankful!