The Power of Gratitude
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
–1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
–Hebrews 13:15
“Give thanks in all circumstances.” Easier said than done. When life gets turned upside down, we definitely do not feel thankful. But then, the Bible doesn’t tell us to feel thankful. It tells us to give thanks—and to offer a sacrifice of praise.
Our options.
This means we have a choice. We can choose to complain about our present circumstances, or we can choose to praise and give thanks, despite our circumstances.
It can be a tough choice—especially when we are hurting, angry or scared. In those times, giving thanks becomes a sacrificial act of obedience. It requires a shift in our thinking. We stop focusing on the negative, and start enumerating the good things the Lord has done in our lives—and then we praise and thank Him for who He is and what He has done.
An example.
In Acts 16 we read of Paul and Silas being brutally beaten and thrown into a dark, filthy jail. Despite their physical pain and concern for their future, they began to pray and sing praises from their humble, grateful hearts.
This particular story ends happily with a heavenly jail break. But more importantly, the jailer was so moved by their heart posture, that he asked them what he and his family needed to do to be saved.
The beautiful testimony here is that Paul and Silas praised God while they were in an incredibly tough situation—before they knew the outcome of their circumstances. They left a timeless example of how Jesus followers should handle a crisis.
The power of continual gratitude.
Praising and giving thanks is a powerful practice that, when done daily, throughout the day, will deepen our relationship with God. Here are some ways that giving thanks can transform us:
Giving thanks takes our focus off of what we don’t have. It changes our attitude.
The more we bring to remembrance what God has already done for us, the more we trust Him to care for us now and in the future.
We become more humble as we acknowledge that we are not in control, and that we are dependent on Him.
Giving thanks continually helps us develop a truly grateful heart…
…and a grateful heart makes us more Christ-like.