Protocols, Postures and Power of Thanksgivingනියැදිය

TWO FINAL ENEMIES OF GRATITUDE

We conclude today with two quiet assassins of thanksgiving: forgetfulness and the fear of criticism. “Forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2, KJV) is a command because memory leaks; when you do not intentionally remember, gratitude withers. Many cultural habits encourage hurried thanks — casual nods, generic clichés — so nothing is named and nothing is felt. I want you to slow down and recollect the details of God’s mercies: dates, names, processes, outcomes. Write them. Pray them back to God. Tell them to your family. Thanksgiving is the child of remembrance; when memory is vague, gratitude becomes thin and perfunctory.

The second assassin is the criticism of others. Some will always police your gratitude — “Too loud… too emotional… unnecessary.” The Lord defended the woman with the alabaster box and immortalised her act: “Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached… this… shall be told for a memorial of her” (Matthew 26:13, KJV). Do not let opinionated spectators define your response to grace. They did not live your story in the theatre of pain, they did not feel the brush of death on the operating table, and they were not there when God brought you back. Honour demands a proportionate response; if God’s mercy was great, let your thanksgiving be weighty, public, and precise.

Practically, defeat forgetfulness by building remembrance rituals: a gratitude journal, monthly family “return days,” and prompt testimonies in church. Keep a running list of people God used and thank them properly — words, notes, visits, gifts — as honour requires. Defeat the fear of criticism by fixing your gaze on the Lord, not the gallery. There is a wisdom in silence, but there is also a foolishness in suppressing praise. Refuse the cynic’s spirit — both in yourself and toward others. Never mock another’s thanksgiving; you do not know the battles behind it. Remember well, return quickly, and rejoice freely. That is how a grateful life stays alive.

THOUGHT TO PONDER: Whose kindness or which mercy have I failed to record — and how will I capture it today? Who are the “spectators” I have feared, and what bold thanksgiving will I offer to honour God’s grace?

PRAYER: Father, deliver me from forgetfulness and the fear of people. Help me remember Your benefits and return with bold, precise thanksgiving today, in Jesus’ name. Amen.