Thanksgiving Day

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph (victory) in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” (II Corinthians 2:14)

Gratitude means thankfulness, appreciation, or gratefulness. Knowing who we are and what we have as a result of being in union with Jesus Christ should cause us to be grateful. As we grow up spiritually our gratitude will also grow. If we understand that our lives are in God’s hands and that He will direct our paths if we choose to allow Him to, we can have gratitude in any circumstance of life. (Colossians 2:6-8)

We must also learn to be grateful for even the hardships in life. Quite often these situations are used by God to teach us valuable lessons. They can also reveal areas of weakness with which we need to deal. How we handle these hardships can be a springboard to advance us in the Christian Way of Life by increasing our faith in God and our dependence upon God. (I Corinthians 15:54-57; I Thessalonians 5:18)

Christ’s obedience to the Father’s plan is the example for us to follow. Did Christ complain about or find fault with the Father’s plan? Of course not! His attitude was one of humility and obedience. Jesus Christ had a personal sense of destiny. He knew exactly what the plan entailed and willingly executed it. We should be grateful that He did, because it was for our benefit, not only for salvation, but also as an example of how to live the Christian Way of Life. (Philippians 2:5-16)

A part of gratitude is being content with what you have. God warns against a lustful attitude and encourages us to be satisfied with what He has already provided. His promise to all believers is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. God knows even before it happens what each of us will face in life, and He has made every provision for us. Our responsibility is to exercise our faith by always giving thanks regardless of circumstances, knowing that God is working things out to benefit us. (Philippians 4:11; Ephesians 5:20; Romans 8:28)

Gratitude is a matter of having the right attitude. And attitude is everything! Our attitude is a mirror into our soul. God’s Word is very clear on this subject. We are told time and again throughout the Scriptures

that we are to do everything without grumbling and complaining. (Philippians 2:14-15) An attitude of gratitude and an attitude of grumbling, complaining and fault-finding are mutually exclusive. Our attitude lets us know whether or not we are trusting God in every situation. Life is not always easy, but trusting God should be. After all, doesn’t He have the best in mind for us? (Ephesians 4:29-32)

When we complain, we are voicing dissatisfaction and discontentment with our situation to God. Therefore, we are complaining about what we think He is or is not doing, instead of trusting Him and using the Faith-Rest Technique. I wonder if we have considered that when we have a complaining and worried attitude, that we are actually criticizing God? Is this not the height of human arrogance? We cannot be trusting God and complaining and worrying at the same time. Remember many situations that we face are of our own doing, not God’s. God however will often use those situations to teach us valuable lessons. And God is always there to help us through those situations. An attitude of faith brings victory in every trial or test we face. If we pass the test with a good attitude, we have benefited ourselves. God never tests us beyond what we can handle, but we don’t know what we can handle until He tests us. And just because we can handle our situation doesn’t mean that we will handle it correctly. Proper application of the truth from the Word of God is the key to victory in any test. (I Corinthians 10:13; I Thessalonians 5:18; I Peter 4:12-14)

“Gratitude is the Fairest Blossom which Springs from the Soul”