How to Cultivate a Thankful Heart
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”—1 Thessalonians 5:18
Though the Bible commands us to express thanks, in America, I think Halloween gets even more attention than this holiday. How can we cultivate a lifestyle of gratitude in a culture that convinces us we need more?
Thanksgiving, is “the act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercy,” often used synonymously with the word “praise.” In Scripture, we often see these two used in parallel.
As believers, we know thanksgiving and praise ought to flavor our character, words, and actions, and yet, how easy it is for us to slip into the old nature: discontent, complaining, ungrateful.
So how can we grow in thankfulness? Let’s see if we can connect the dots.
Start with the Heart
Every single human, left on our own, refuses to acknowledge Him (Rom. 1:21). Even though we are believers, we still gravitate towards ingratitude. When we are ungrateful for what we have, we play God in our hearts and judge the quality of His gifts. Worse, we credit ourselves, praising our ability to provide for ourselves (1 Cor. 4:7).
Interestingly, the Hebrew word for “give thanks” (yadah) is also translated “confess” (Ps. 32:5, Lev. 5:5, 16:21, 26:40, Num. 5:7). Thanksgiving actually begins with confession—honest, specific, and sincere admission of our guilt of ingratitude.
Unless we acknowledge the truth that we are ungrateful wretches prone to grumble and complain, thanking God without setting this straight is mere external show.
Take time to confess to God your ingratitude…and then thank Him for His forgiveness!
Thank God for Who He Is and What He Has Done For Us
After we remove ourselves from the throne, the focus turns to the One who does deserve to be on it.
Scripture is filled with reasons why we ought to thank (and praise) God. We thank Him for His character:
His power and rule (Rev. 11:17)
His grace that reaches the heart (2 Cor. 4:15) and enriches us in every way (1 Cor. 1:4-5)
His love endures forever and His mercies never fail (Ps. 107:11; Ps. 136; Lam. 3:22-23)
His righteousness (Ps. 7:17)
His protection and help (Ps. 28:7)
We thank Him for all He has done for us:
He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry (Ps. 107:8-9)
His renewing of our hearts day by day (2 Cor. 4:15, 16)
His work for the Gospel through us (2 Cor. 2:14)
This is not an exhaustive list by any means! Take a moment to thank God for who He is and what He has done for you, particularly in this season of your life.
Living a Life of Thanksgiving
Not only does the Bible call us to thank God, it calls us to live a life that is characterized by thanksgiving. Our deepest need—to be forgiven and restored to our Creator—has been done for us through Christ. If we grasp what a great gap has been breached, how can we not give thanks?
So how do we express thanksgiving?
By singing and shouting our praise (Ps. 95:1-3, Ps. 100:4). Put on music and worship (Ps. 92:1, 2)!
By being generous in supplying the needs of other believers so that they will thank God (2 Cor. 9:11-12)
By telling others of His wonderful deeds (Ps. 9:1), speaking to one another words of thanksgiving (Eph. 5:19-20).
By thanking God for others’ faith and love (2 Th. 1:3) as we pray for them (1 Tim. 2:1).
By persevering in a godly and faithful life (Col. 2:6, 7) even in the midst of trials (James 1:2-4), doing everything in His name as a means of giving thanks (Col. 3:16,17).
By receiving every circumstance (1 Th. 5:18)—especially the hard ones—and offering thanksgiving (1 Tim. 4:4-5) even if we don’t feel like it, as a gift of sacrifice (Heb. 13:15, Rev. 2:9).
Take a moment to consider one way you can personalize these commands in your life.
In Closing
Thanksgiving is not meant to be a once-a-year occurrence. It is a lifestyle. When our hearts are ruled by the peace of Christ (Col. 3:15), as we regularly remember His many benefits (Ps. 103:1-2), our hearts begin to look at life differently. A thankful heart serves as a beautiful beacon of light in a world darkened with ingratitude.
Thanksgiving requires watchfulness and devotion if we are to maintain it continuously (Col. 4:2; Heb. 13:15). Every day, I make it a habit to write down at least one thing I am grateful for, just to keep myself looking, lest I slip into ungratefulness.
When we practice thanksgiving on a daily and regular basis, we are “going long,” preparing for the day when we will do this for all eternity (Rev. 7:12).
Let us not wait until that day! May the practice of thanksgiving—not just for this holiday season—be our dress rehearsal for the unending praise to come.
