Gratitude Changes Everything
Thanksgiving is this week and I wonder how many of us prepare ourselves for this holiday. I’ve been thinking about gratitude a lot lately. I’ve wondered what it is? I’ve also wondered when we should show it, and I’ve wondered what God says about it? Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” This text doesn’t command us to feel thankful in all circumstances. It instead commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances,” even when we don’t feel like it.
Sometimes I don’t see glory in tragedy, but I can praise God because I know He is there. Gratitude changes the lens through which we see the circumstances when we look hard at what really happened. Thanksgiving changes our perspective despite broken dreams, broken relationships and unfulfilled longings. As we praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He’s done, our perspective of who God is grows larger and our problems become smaller. As we praise God, we will experience a deeper sense of intimacy with God.
On many occasions in the Psalms, David complained about his circumstances. Psalm 42 is a good example. Often when David laments, he begins to praise God for who He is and what He’s done. David feels better when he begins to “praise.” David’s problems grew smaller, and His perspective on God grew larger.
When we stop complaining and grumbling and begin speaking God’s love language of gratitude, our perspective will change. We will see moments of glory through the lens of praise and thanksgiving. These glory moments were there all along but hidden from the grumbling eye. As we prepare for Thanksgiving Day, may we be reminded that “Gratitude Changes Everything.”
Prayer – God, I praise your name! Sometimes I don’t understand what is going on in my life, but I trust that You are good and Your plans are good. May we be like David and be changed from depression to rejoicing. Amen.
I Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances.”
Author: Tommy Herndon
Image: Mohamed Nohassi, courtesy of Unsplash
