So much is said about gratitude in the Bible. Ephesians 5:20-21 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
If we are not careful, we form a habit of griping and complaining. We have a habit of finding the worst and not seeing the best, of being critical and not praising. We think we are straightening everything out by talking about everything that is wrong.
Let me give you some suggestions to help you cultivate a spirit of gratitude.
Visit a nursing home. Go into the rooms and speak to people who never have anyone to touch them or hug them or take their hand and love them, who never have anyone sit down and talk to them for a period of time. The people who are there, in some cases, have gone into a world of loneliness never to come out until they leave this world. This will make you grateful.
Visit a hospital, especially a pediatric hospital. Walk into a room where parents are waiting while their children’s lives are hanging in the balance. They do not know if their little babies are going to make it through the night. Visit a place like that and you will have a deeper appreciation for what God has done in giving your children health.
Go to a funeral home. See a grieving family and be thankful to God that you have life and strength and that you still have an opportunity to live for Him. As long as there is life, there is hope to make things right.
Witness to people who are without Christ and see how terrible it is to be without God and without hope in this world, headed toward hell and destruction.
God has given us so much to be thankful for but we must remember that gratitude begins at home. This time of year provides a wonderful reminder that we must cultivate a spirit of gratitude. May God be with you and give you a blessed Thanksgiving.