First in a two-part series about choosing an attitude of gratitude.
It is no secret: gratitude doesn’t come naturally to humans. Giving thanks is learned. It is a habit others teach us or we choose to acquire with study and practice.
If you doubt it, then think back to the times your mother whispered in your ear, “Say thank you,” as Aunt Wilma filled your plate with Brussels sprouts or sauerkraut!
You learned the proper times to show gratitude, even when you didn’t feel it. Gratitude became a habit … some of the time. But not all the time.
No Habit, No Gratitude
Image: Maria Media
Certain circumstances appear to dictate ingratitude over thankfulness: an illness, a job loss, a child’s rebellion, or a friend’s snub. Or perhaps God doesn’t bless you the way you want or the way you’ve asked. Give thanks? You are not in the habit because you feel like a victim. Instead, your default mode is complaining … grumbling … jealousy … criticism.
Other times God’s blessings come and go without notice. You may expect to have prayers answered (since you’ve prayed them) … good health (since you’ve taken care of yourself or have gone to the doctor) … job security and even a raise (since you’ve stayed with the company for a while). Blessings become entitlements.
Give thanks? You are not in the habit because you think you deserve whatever you have received. Your default mode is indifference … apathy … complacency … self-satisfaction.
Give Thanks All of the Time? It’s Unnatural
Ingratitude is normal and natural. But it’s not an option for the Christ-follower. We are to live “unnatural” lives.
God tells us, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). That puts a big, fat nix on ingratitude. God doesn’t give you a “No-Thanks-Needed” pass in certain situations. Nor does He say you can be too busy or too good to forget to thank Him.
Instead, He calls us to live a life of unnatural gratitude.
While most of us are not in the habit of choosing gratitude all the time, if you look carefully there is always a reason to give thanks in every circumstance. You have lost your job, but you still have food to eat. Your child has an addiction, giving you the opportunity to grow in humility and ask others for support. You are fighting an illness, but you have lived another day. Your friend has snubbed you, allowing you the chance to reflect grace.
God’s blessings are there. Sometimes they are simply easier to see than other times. It is the Christ-follower’s privilege to find a reason for gratitude in all things.
Give thanks? Like any other habit, it is one you can choose to acquire. It will take practice. It will feel unnatural. It will force you to go deeper into the heart of God than you ever dreamed.
You can choose the higher privilege of reflecting the character of Christ. Or you can choose a more natural route of ingratitude and indifference – one well-traveled by most.
The choice is up to you.
Read Part 2: Act Grateful to Feel Grateful
