“It is good to say thank you to the Lord, to sing praises to the God who is above all gods. 2 Every morning tell him, “Thank you for your kindness,” and every evening rejoice in all his faithfulness” (Ps 92: 1, LB)
There are a few things that are good for all humans everywhere to engage in. For example, marriage is a good thing, helping others is a good endeavor, and living a purposeful life is also a good thing. Enjoying life is a good thing. Eating well is a good thing. Living in peace with everyone around you is a good thing. Spreading the good news of the kingdom of God is a good thing. Being grateful is in that category as well. Every day we find ourselves in the land of the living, we must engage in gratitude for the blessings we have received. In other words, we must all develop an attitude of gratitude. According to Cicero: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
Cicero
The good news is that if not for God’s mercy and lovingkindness, many of us will not be alive today. If left to the devil you would have been dead by now. The grave would have swallowed you up. You will have been killed. But thanks be to God who has not given you to the will of our enemy. Please remember that only the living can praise God. The dead cannot praise Him. If you are breathing today, you must praise Him!
Don’t discount your blessings, they always count.
Not only that, we must learn to thank God for everyone that has imparted our lives- good or bad. Some of us don’t know what we are enjoying. So, we take people’s benevolence and good gesture for granted. We need to thank God for whatever we have passed through because many of us will not be where we are today for the better if we did not pass through those things. Sometimes you must learn to thank God for that mean person who has caused your life to take a different shape. It may not have been palatable at that time, but now if you are to carefully reflect on it, you would know that God is the one at work.
No matter where you are today, there is someone to be grateful to God for. Sometimes we can be blinded by our circumstances and the prayers that have not been answered yet or the favor that we have not received that we cannot see God’s hands in our lives.
The good news is that if not for God’s mercy and lovingkindness, many of us will not be alive today. If left to the devil you would have been dead by now.
Being grateful to God should come from knowing that God is sovereign and works everything after the counsel of His will. When we understand this, we can trust His wisdom, love, and ability to make everything works out for us.
Being grateful to God should come from knowing that God is sovereign and works everything after the counsel of His will.
I want to encourage you to take the effort to say thank you to God and those He has inspired in one way or the other to impact your life. Instead of complaining about what has not been working, let’s thank God for what has worked and what is working even though it is not all that we want to experience. Instead of concentrating on who is not with us, we must thank God for those people who are with us and have stuck with us through thick and thin. Instead of complaining about the opposition, let’s be grateful that we even have a position that people can contest.
When was the last time you engage in doing the good thing?
Researchers have found that when we are grateful, it can change our mood, helps us to be mindful, and causes us to be optimistic. It can also help us to lead a more satisfying life. It can change our perspective on life. No wonder the psalmist advised that it is a good and beautiful thing to give thanks to the Lord. When was the last time you engage in doing a good thing?