Long ago there was as a great British poet by the name of Rudyard Kipling. One day a young man walked up to Mr. Kipling and said, “Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over one hundred dollars a word.”
Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, “Really, I certainly wasn’t aware of that!”
Then the reporter reached into his pocket and pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Mr. Kipling and said, “Here’s a one-hundred-dollar bill. Now give me one of your one-hundred-dollar words.” Rudyard Kipling looked at that piece of currency for a moment, then he folded it up and put it in His pocket and said, “Thanks!” (Author Unknown)
The word thanks is certainly a one-hundred-dollar word. Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica “Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Always be Joyful! Always Pray!!! Always be thankful! Be thankful in ALL circumstances. Gratitude is something we must show and practice every day. In Celebrate Recovery we encourage each other to have a gratitude list- to write down every day those things that you are thankful for. It’s important to be grateful- thankful for the blessings and people and things in our lives.
Gratitude is something that should always be expressed. Romans 1:21 says; “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him.” Paul is describing a lost world, a group of people who knew about God, they knew of His existence, they knew He was powerful and they knew His laws and decrees. Yet, they still did not thank Him, and the Book of Romans tells us that their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
That’s why Paul said, be thankful in ALL circumstances! We are to give thanks always! We are to express gratitude always, simply because Scripture says to. David wrote, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalms 68:19) We are always to be thankful for God’s daily goodness and mercy.
2 Corinthians says we are to “thank God for His indescribable gift, Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
Have you ever thanked God for the person who planted the seeds of the gospel into your life? Have you thanked Him for the prayer intercessors He raised up on your behalf? Have you ever thanked God for those who bring the Word of God to you or to those who take God’s Word out into the world?
When was the last time you thanked God for your helpmate; your spouse/partner? When was the last time you thanked God for His provision for you and your family?
There is so much to thank God for. And those who have an attitude of gratitude, along with filling their minds and hearts with Biblical truth, are able to destroy any hold the world or the devil has in their lives.
Gratitude is to always be expressed. The Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to write, “…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17). The two words “all circumstances” makes this exhortation from the Lord difficult. If we were told in “most things” or “in good things,” we would find it much easier to accept and obey. It’s easy to be thankful when everything is going good- it’s much more difficult when life is difficult. Yet, I’ve found in my own life that even in those very difficult circumstances God has always been with me- He has never left me, He has never forsaken me. Through the death of a child, being betrayed by a loved one, living through financially difficult times- God has always been my hope and my strength- a very present help in all my troubles. I wasn’t ‘happy’ in those events in my life, but I could be thankful for God, His presence in my life and His unfailing love!
Gratitude is the mark of a growing Christian. Babies are not born being able to express gratitude. You can walk a colicky baby for several hours throughout the night. When you lay the baby down, he will not express gratitude, because he can’t, he is a baby. But as the child begins to grow, good parents train the child to say, “thank you” and as the child continues to grow, he is expected to show gratitude by the way he lives. If the parents don’t teach them, their children will grow up self-centered. It is a sign of maturity when our children express their gratitude.
We don’t want to be like the little boy who thanked his grandmother for the piece of pie that he received. His grandmother said, “O I like it when you say thank you.” The boy replied, “I will say it again if you would put some ice-cream on top of the pie.”
We show gratitude to God and for the things He has done for us by helping others in the Name of Christ. A thankful Christian will be a giving Christian.
It has been well said, “Thanksgiving is just thanks, then giving.” You can give without being thankful, but you cannot be thankful without giving. When you give, you are not only acknowledging that everything you have has been given to you by the Lord, but you are expressing your gratitude to Him. A true “Attitude of Gratitude” will change your life.
As we reflect on Thanksgiving and look to the Christmas season, think on this verse and learn to live it out- you will be glad you did!
“Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.)
