How to Give Thanks

"Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations."

Psalm 100 ESV

Every year at Thanksgiving, our nation gathers as a people around tables laden with abundance to give thanks.  I am willing to feel grateful for all the good things in my life, and I'm sure most people share in this motivation to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.  But is there more to giving thanks than just feeling thankful?  Here is a recipe found in God's Word for how to live a life of thankfulness.

Manner.  It's easy to go through the motions, doing all that I must do to survive, taking care of necessary details, completing the tasks set before me.  I can do a good job but go about it in the wrong way, with a grumpy disposition or even with a simple sense of duty.  It reminds me of the time our family helped move a relative.  We had a limited amount of time allotted to this obligation so we set about the job with gusto, quickly carrying items out to the moving truck.  No one spoke to one another; we were all business!

Then it hit me;  this is a time God had given us to spend time together as a family, yet we weren't even enjoying the moment!  There was much to be thankful for: We were close by to our loved one to help in such a way, our family is intact and able to work together as a team, we are all physically able to perform such a job.  Yet where was the joy?  Where was the sense of fun and pleasure in spending time together, even in such a dreaded chore as moving?

All I do is marked by joy when I recognize all God is to me.  When I ponder God's amazing character and His willingness to include me in His plan, every act I carry out can be done in joy, every service performed with gladness, every approach to His throne of grace to receive what I need can be accompanied by singing (Hebrews 4:16).  With such thankfulness to God, even moving can be a happy job!

A thankful spirit produces joy while an ungrateful one results in a dissatisfied, grumpy, dutiful manner.

Identity and Orientation.  Sheep get it.  Dumb as they are, they understand who they belong to and where they fit in.  They have one master and only listen to his voice, obeying His commands.  They stick with that shepherd, letting him lead them to the safe place to graze, the cozy shelter from the storm, or the haven from predators. These simple animals see their shepherd as the center of their world; he is everything to them.  They also realize there is safety in numbers so they stick together.  In a nutshell, they know who they are and where they belong.

There is a reason Jesus compared His followers to sheep and identified Himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10).  He wants me to understand what the psalmist expressed so beautifully:  I am one of His sheep and I belong in His pasture.  

When I submit to Jesus as my King, Lord, Master, I acknowledge that I live in His world, operate according to His plan for me, and live as He designed me to function.  It's all His and recognizing that He allows me to play some small part is both humbling and freeing.  No longer do I need to figure things out on my own, solving my own problems, going after my own good things.  Instead, I have a Shepherd who I belong to and a place in His pasture with His family where I am well-cared for.  

A thankful spirit delivers a sense of belonging while an ungrateful one cultivates a spirit of independence, alienation and insecurity.

Attitude.  David knew that in order to come before the Lord with a proper attitude, he must offer something that came at a price.  He refused to give the Lord a sacrifice that was a complimentary gift in a place that was presented for free.  Instead, he insisted on purchasing from the generous owner a threshing floor and oxen that could be used to build an altar and burn the sacrifice to the Lord.  He would not offer a sacrifice that cost him nothing (2 Samuel 24:18-25).

David understood the importance of attitude when approaching the Lord.  Yes, I can come boldly as one who belongs, but not empty-handed.  Instead, the offerings of a grateful heart and praise to Him are welcomed gifts that cost me my selfish point-of-view and my fleshly desire to look out for myself.  When I let go of such natural tendencies to take care of myself, to hold on to what I have for fear of doing without or to only see how things effect me, I can offer a thankful outlook to a God who loves such gifts!

A thankful spirit results in a grateful, generous attitude while an ungrateful one promotes a selfish and stingy outlook.

It's easy to go through life without ever giving thanks.  Sure, I might utter words of gratitude from time to time, but there's more to thankfulness than this.  Like the psalmist beautifully expresses, my life can be marked by joy and gladness, a sense of belonging and understanding of where I fit in, and an attitude that is giving and generous.  This is how to give thanks in the way I live my life!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God to provide for all my needs, freeing me up to live generously with others.

When do I forget where I belong, instead trying to fit in where I will find only destruction?

How am I stingy and grumpy, betraying my ungrateful heart?