English
Português
Español
Français
Answer
The Bible is filled with commands to give thanks to God (Psalm 106:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; 1 Chronicles 16:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Most verses go on to list reasons why we should thank Him, such as “His love endures forever” «O give thanks to the Lord of lords: For his mercy endureth forever. », (Psalm 136:3), “He is good” «O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: For his mercy endureth forever.», (Psalm 118:29), and “His mercy is everlasting” «For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.», (Psalm 100:5). Thanksgiving and praise always go together. We cannot adequately praise and worship God without also being thankful.
Feeling and expressing appreciation is good for us. Like any wise father, God wants us to learn to be thankful for all the gifts He has given us «Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. », (James 1:17). It is in our best interest to be reminded that everything we have is a gift from Him. Without gratitude, we become arrogant and self-centered. We begin to believe that we have achieved everything on our own. Thankfulness keeps our hearts in right relationship to the Giver of all good gifts.
Giving thanks also reminds us of how much we do have. Human beings are prone to covetousness. We tend to focus on what we lack rather than what we have. By giving thanks, we shift our focus from what we don’t have to what we do have, and this shift in perspective can bring about a greater sense of contentment and joy in our lives.
Don’t have. By giving thanks continually, we are reminded of how much we do have. When we focus on blessings rather than wants, we are happier. When we start thanking God for the things we usually take for granted, our perspective changes. We realize that we could not even exist without the merciful blessings of God.
First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We are to be thankful not only in pleasant situations but in the circumstances we don’t like. When we purpose to thank God regardless of what comes into our lives, we keep bitterness at bay. We cannot be both thankful and bitter at the same time. It’s not that we are grateful for tragedy, but we can be thankful for who God is, even in the midst of tragedy. He sustains us and gives us strength to endure (James 1:12;2 Corinthians 12:9). We thank Him for His promise that “all things will work together for the good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” «And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. », (Romans 8:28).
We can have thankful hearts toward God even when we do not feel thankful for the circumstance. We can grieve and still be thankful. We can hurt and still be thankful. We can be angry at sin and still be thankful toward God. That is what the Bible calls a “sacrifice of praise” «By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. », (Hebrews 13:15). Giving thanks to God keeps our hearts in right relationship with Him and saves us from a host of harmful emotions and attitudes that will rob us of the peace God wants us to.Experience (Philippians 4:6-7).
