Image: Palm Partners
Andrew blinked. He had fallen asleep on the couch after Thanksgiving dinner. Now it was time to move on the next important task – shopping on Black Friday.
Like many of us, Andrew had taken time on Thanksgiving to think about his many blessings and give thanks for them. And like many of us, he wanted to be thankful. He acknowledged that gratitude is a good and important attitude to invest in.
But was Andrew investing in obedience to the command to “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) … or simply assuring himself that he was thankful?
Gratitude Is Really About Obedience
A look at the Parable of Talents (Matthew 25) reveals that obedience always produces a healthy return. In the parable, two servants invested what the Master had entrusted to them and were further blessed. One did nothing and faced unfortunate consequences. The Master placed high value on the first two servants’ obedience, their willingness to do what He asked, and their choice to trust the outcome to Him.
Talk about a sure thing! When it comes to obedience, ROI (return on investment) is a certainty.
Likewise, the ROI for investing in gratitude is guaranteed if you obey God’s command to give thanks in everything.
If he was truthful, Andrew might say that giving thanks at a turkey-laden table served as an annual reminder allowing him to mentally check off “gratitude.” In his day-to-day world – and maybe yours, too – gratitude was at best an afterthought and at worst placed on the back burner of Andrew’s heart and mind.
Gratitude Puts Us in Our Place
The real issue is not if you feel grateful. As humans, our natural tendency is to superficially thank God (giving the feeling that we’ve “obeyed”) or avoid it altogether. We do this not because we’re too busy. Rather, it’s easier not to cultivate gratitude out of laziness or fear.
When we obey, we have to place God’s sovereignty over our human feelings.
Doubt it? Take another look at the parable. Two servants obeyed their Master. As a result of obedience they were “given more and [had] an abundance” (Matthew 25:29). But the other servant was afraid and lazy (Matthew 25:24-36). He followed his feelings and lost it all.
Quite simply, true gratitude puts us in our place … and it puts God in His.
Gratitude’s Great Expectations
What kind of expectations can you have when you deliberately choose to obey God and consciously invest in cultivating daily gratitude?
You may not have warm fuzzy feelings. You may need to make changes that require some effort. But you can have great expectations, based on God’s economy, that you’ll be “given more in abundance.”
A lifestyle of thanksgiving produces tremendous results in your heart when you give thanks to God because He is good and leave the ROI – return on your investment – to Him.
