How to Choose Gratitude
Giving Thanks
Saturday, March 4, 2000
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Q. How can you be thankful in every situation?
A. When it's spring and the air is crisp and clean, I feel thankful. But when it's 95 degrees and smoggy, when I'm stuck in rush-hour traffic and my car overheats, then I have to choose
to be thankful. To give thanks in the midst of bad situations, we have to make two suppositions. One is that in spite of everything, God is still sovereign and in control. The second is that God does not make mistakes.
Choosing means there are alternatives?
Yes. When any situation arises, we have two choices as to how we can respond. The first choice, thanksgiving, causes us to recognize our dependence upon Him. We gain a right perspective of who we are in His eyes. This causes us to worship Him for who He is. When we understand God and his love and care for us, then we are more willing to trust him for our future.
The second choice is to be ungrateful. When we say, "God, I don't like what You're doing in my life," this leads to doubts about God's character and his actions. We are saying, "God, I really don't think You are good and that You have my best interests at heart." This leads to despair. It says, "If God is not good, and if He doesn't care about me, who does? How can I ever make it?"
What does being thankful involve?
True thanksgiving is more than simply saying "Thank you." It is closer to the idea of praise. It is intended to be a public declaration of the attributes and actions of God. David says [in Psalm 138:2] that he will "praise your name [attribute] for your love and faithfulness [actions]." When an individual praises God for who He is and what He has done, it causes others to do the same.
How do I get started?
Take time to list some attributes of God you are thankful for. List some things that God has done for you that you are thankful for. Then share the list with someone else
Mark S. Wheeler is a pastor in California.
Credits: Adapted from Decision (11/86)
Copyright © 2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity. For reprint information click here.
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