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Written by Dave La Ravia
I’ve been pondering what I can do to have a more grateful mind-set.
What am I truly thankful for in my life? What am I not thankful for?
These two questions are not necessarily ones that I naturally ask myself every day, but I should. Until I’m able to show perfect thanksgiving and be grateful to God every day for who He is and what He does, I need to strive to be more thankful.
An attitude of gratitude
There is an account in the Bible that relates the story of 10 men who were afflicted with the horrific disease of leprosy. All 10 were miraculously healed by Jesus Christ.
This account in Luke 17:11-19 shows the ingratitude of most of the lepers, but it highlights the gratefulness of one of them. “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:15-16).
The Samaritans were rejected and despised by most Jews. Yet this man “with a loud voice” glorified God immediately when he experienced the love and compassion of God!
God works in our lives each and every day. He removes our sins and forgives us when we repent, and He pours out His Spirit in our daily lives as we seek His help and guidance. We must see what God has done for us and thank Him for it.
Three ways to grow in gratefulness
Here are three points I’m trying to apply to have a more grateful mind-set:
1. Pray and ask for God’s help to have a thankful attitude at all times.
The apostle Paul was a beacon of thankfulness, and he consistently praised God for all that was “good” in his life, as God sees “good.” He showed this attitude of gratefulness in how he lived his life by teaching God’s way of life and giving Him all of the glory. Paul took none of the credit.
Through this Paul also demonstrated contentment. As he wrote to the Philippians: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11). We also can grow in contentment and thankfulness for what God chooses to give us or not give us, as we remember to pray for thankfulness and contentment.
2. Fully surrender to God and His will.
Jesus Christ was the perfect example of godly faith, love and showing His gratefulness to God in all that He did. He showed us His willingness to give His life for all human beings so that we can have a relationship with God.
Christ said this in the time of His greatest need: “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
God wants us to choose His will over ours every time. That is the attitude that we are striving for as we ask that God help us make godliness our first nature rather than human nature. God will only do what is good for us—that is His will working in our lives (Romans 8:28; 1 John 2:17).
3. If we strive to be thankful, then we will not complain about what we do not have.
The Bible highlights the grumbling and ungratefulness of the nation of Israel. God did everything for them, including rescuing them from slavery in Egypt. They were not only slaves to Egypt, but they were slaves to pain and suffering and, ultimately, they were slaves to human nature. Does that sound familiar?
Too many times we want what we don’t have in this life, or we want what we should not have. God knows this!
National and individual blessings
God reminded the Israelites many times, as He reminds us to this day, about the sin of ingratitude: “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12, New International Version).
I live in the United States, a nation that has been so blessed, but too many times we have forgotten where those blessings come from. At a time when God is removing His blessings from our people because of our disobedience, we are forced to recognize how ungrateful we have been for the blessings we are now losing. Let’s not follow that example in forgetting our great Creator!
A person’s thankfulness is shown in his or her personal prayer and relationship with God. We can be thankful to God for choosing to be in our lives, not just for what He does for us or the things that He gives to us. I want to strive to live the words of King David, when he said, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30, NIV).
Dave La Ravia is a member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, and attends the Beloit, Wisconsin, congregation.
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