This week is Thanksgiving, a day to celebrate the goodness of God in our lives. It’s a day to remind us of all the things we have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is not the only day of the year we should be thankful. In fact, thanksgiving should be a continual attitude in our lives.
Today, I’m going to talk about “Developing A Thankful Attitude.” A thankful attitude does not come naturally, it’s something that must be developed with God’s help. NIV Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. The first thing this verse teaches us is that thanksgiving has an object, thanks is to be directed to a person, in this case to the Lord. A thankful attitude is directed to God, for His goodness and love. A believer who has a thankful attitude gains many benefits in their life. Being obedient to God’s command to be thankful, brings His blessing on your life. Being thankful to God helps you be thankful toward people as well. Being a person with a thankful attitude will work wonders in your relationships, in your family, at work and in the church.
What’s the opposite of being thankful? It’s being ungrateful Neither God nor other people like being around an ungrateful person. Let’s see how thankful a person you are. I’ve come up with a test consisting of three questions with three possible answers which will tell if you have a thankful attitude.
First question: You are in the ten item, cash only line at ShopNSave with your two cans of green beans and one can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup with a fresh $20 bill from your ATM machine in your hand. The person in front of you has fifteen items and a checkbook in their back pocket. How do you respond? A. Gratitude for the Green Bean Bake your family will enjoy. B. Grit your teeth and wonder if the guy ahead of you failed math or reading. C. Yell at the cashier, “Checkout Line Violation — 15 items! 15 items!”
Question two: You are driving your daughter to school, and as you drop her off, the car in front of you decides to just park there, trapping you in the school parking lot. How do you respond? A. You look out the window and give thanks for this time to stop and smell the roses and car fumes. B. Grab the steering wheel tighter as steam comes out of your ears. C. Honk your horn continuously until you sound out “move your car” in Morse code.
Third question: The election is just over and your candidate or issue did not win. What is your attitude? A. Thank God that you live in a free country and were able to vote. B. Go around with a scowl on your face for a month. C. Put a sign on your work cubicle which says, “Supporters of _____________ stay out.”
If you had all As that’s great, if you had a few Bs or Cs then you need to listen up today. NIV 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. It is God’s will for you to develop a thankful attitude, it is God’s will for you to give thanks in all circumstances. Today, we’re going to go through a passage in Philippians 4 verse by verse to see how you and I can develop a thankful attitude.
To hear more about this topic, listen to my November 19, 2006 message entitled Developing A Thankful Attitude
I just wanted to say thanks for helping me with my sermon coming up in a couple of days. You never know when you write something down how far it will go. God’s word does not return to Him void, and that word was proven moments ago from something you wrote years ago.
God bless you, your family and your church!
Pastor Bobby Adauto