A Grateful Heartනියැදිය

Thank You!

It’s so easy to say thank you when someone does us a favor, gives us a gift, or when we get an answer to prayer. We naturally overflow with thanks and celebrate the blessing we received or achieved. From the time we were little, we were taught to say thanks; sometimes we forgot, but the grown-ups always reminded us! We grew up knowing how important it is to be grateful to God and to others.

In fact, one of the most common teachings in the Bible is that we must give thanks. Jesus set an example for us. In different situations, we saw Him thank the Father. Before He multiplied the loaves and fish, He thanked God for the small amount He had in His hands. When He prayed before the miracle of Lazarus’s resurrection, He thanked the Father for hearing Him. When He sat down to eat with His disciples, He gave thanks.

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul constantly gave thanks in his prayers for the brothers and sisters in the churches he wrote to. “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16 (NIV) Paul spoke in his letters about the importance of being grateful, but he didn't just teach it; he lived a life of gratitude to God and to his fellow believers. “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20 (NIV)

We also learn in the Bible that we shouldn't just be grateful to God when everything is wonderful. As I said at the start, it's easy to give thanks when your heart is joyful and you're happy with what's happening or what you’ve received. But giving thanks is more complicated when our circumstances make us cry, when what we receive isn't exactly what we hoped for, or when it's easier to complain than to be thankful.

When we read 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV), “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” we realize that God wants our hearts to remain grateful no matter what situation we are in. A heart that can give thanks in all times is a heart that has learned that God is still our Heavenly Father, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

The Lord isn't asking us to be grateful for the sickness or the problem. He invites us to give thanks because, even amid life's difficulties, we can have Him helping us, comforting us, giving us strength, and guarding our souls. God will never fail us.