Developing an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude

Written by Nana Kwame Owusu-Afriyie.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (NLT) 1 Thessalonians 5:18

A trip through the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament reveals to us men and women who spared no effort in showing gratitude and giving thanks for what the Lord did for them. The joy and enthusiasm they expressed in their singing and their conduct are writ large. They are infectious and worthy of emulation.

If I am to pick one character from the Old Testament who had a great reputation for showing gratitude and giving thanks to the Lord, it will be no one but David. David’s attitude of thanksgiving was legendary. You can call him the epitome of thanksgiving. From his youthful days tending to his father’s sheep to his conquests in war and even in his twilight years, David proved to be a real poster child of thanksgiving, advertising to the world the faithfulness and goodness of our Lord.

David had one of the most challenging lives ever recorded in the annals of the kings of ancient Israel. From his convoluted journey from the pasture land (1 Samuel 16:11) to the palace (2 Samuel 5:4), David could have easily been a man full of bitterness and resentment. Nevertheless, David taught us that gratitude is an attitude and in all circumstances, we should give thanks to God (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

The entire chapter of 2 Samuel 22 is dedicated to David’s Psalm of Deliverance from the hands of his enemies and Saul. The metaphors used by David in verses two to three – rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, horn of salvation, stronghold, and refuge – shows that David had an intimate relationship with God and knew very well the Lord he was serving. For him God was the be-all and end-all of his life. David couldn't have imagined life without God. The same metaphors and others run through all his psalms of praise. He never lost his sense of awe and reverence for the Lord. Is it any wonder that at a very tender age he risked his life to prove to the ‘uncircumcised Philistines’ that there is a God in Israel? (1 Samuel 17:46).

Beloved, may I point it out to you that you can only develop an attitude of thanksgiving when you hold God in the highest esteem in your mind and heart. The challenges of life can ruin this sense of wonder. Like a child who is awed by the seemingly mundane things of life so should we be awed by the things the Lord does for us which we take for granted. A thankful heart, a mind that does not lose its sense of wonder for the Lord is like a magnet sweeping over the day, collecting reasons to show gratitude to the Most High.

The wise will take this to heart! || More

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