Grateful Living
By Sherry C. Leavell
Early-American theologian Jonathan Edwards taught that there are two levels of gratitude. Natural gratitude is being thankful for the blessings in our lives. Gracious gratitude is gratefulness for who God is.
One does not have to be a Christian to be thankful for good things. It is a natural human response to feel grateful for the blessings in our lives like our families, our health, or a beautiful Fall day. We count our blessings “one by one” and can easily have gratitude for those good things. For the non-Christian who feels thankful, who is the one they are thankful to? Who gives them the beautiful day, their health, or family members to love?
For years, I wanted a nice vacuum cleaner. I thought about buying one, yet never got around to doing so. I didn’t buy one, but just thought many times about how nice it would be to have a good vacuum cleaner.
When my birthday came along, my daughters Laura and Amy were excited about my gift. Once I opened it, I was overwhelmed. It was a powerful vacuum cleaner with a canister, rather than a bag, just as I had always wanted!
I was so happy, and I went on and on thanking the girls and expressing my gratitude. I was the recipient of the vacuum, and Laura and Amy were the recipients of my heartfelt gratitude.
Of the good gifts we receive, some last a little while and others may last a long time. But there is only one gift that lasts forever. The gift that lasts forever is the gift given personally by God. It is the gift of Jesus. And once we accept the gift by confessing our sins and welcoming Jesus as our Lord and our Savior, we have the gift as ours from that day forward. This gift changes everything.
Because of Christ
If we really think about the gift of Christ and the sacrifice that was made so we could have the gift, how can we not be forever thankful and live in gratitude? For the non-believer, who has not yet accepted the gift, they aren’t able to thank the One who is worthy of all gratitude. They don’t know Him. But we, as believers, know that we can thank Jesus.
Each day we have a choice. We can choose to—or choose not to—live each day as an expression of our gratitude and give glory to the Lord Most High. God gave the gift, and He gets the glory.
As Christians, we can choose gratitude because of God and what was done on the cross for us by Jesus. Our response to His extravagant gift can be thankfulness. We can have gracious gratitude to the One who gave it all. We can live our lives as an expression of our appreciation for who God is and what He has done. Our daily lives can be a communication of our thankfulness to the Lord.
In Luke 17:11-19, we read about ten lepers who called out to Jesus for healing. Jesus saw the men and gave them instructions, “and as they went, they were cleansed.”
After one of these men was healed, he returned—praising God and falling at the feet of Jesus to thank Him. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” He then told the healed man, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
How many times do we ask the Lord for something and then, like the other nine lepers, forget to go back and thank the Lord? How many times do we thank someone for a small gift like a pair of socks, but fail to say thank you to the Lord for the biggies? How many nights do we lay our heads on our pillows and so easily forget to say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus”? He is the One who lavishes such gifts on us as forgiveness, grace, eternal life, joy, and every breath we take.
In All Circumstances
Think about someone you know who is truly grateful. Has their life been one of ease or have they had challenges? My guess is the person who came to mind is one who has experienced hard situations and difficulties. How is this possible to be grateful when life is hard and disappointing? It is God who has worked in this person’s life to give them perspective and appreciation. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us “...for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” It is the Lord who shines through us and gives us gratitude. This gratefulness is a gift from the Lord and we can ask Him for this gift if it’s not something we currently have. He will give us His perspective, determination, and an ability to be grateful.
But what about being thankful in the hard times—when it rains on our special day, when our health declines, or when we lose a family member? How can we be thankful in those days? In the midst of suffering or disappointment, how do we do it? How is this even possible?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we read, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Several years ago, I attended the visitation for the funeral of Mike Paten. Mike was the husband of Gwen Paten and he died very shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. I’ll never forget seeing Gwen by Mike’s casket with her arm raised high praising the Lord for His goodness. Seeing her trust and faith in the Lord made a lasting impression on me that day. I wanted that kind of relationship with the Lord. I wanted to be a person who could praise the Lord in all seasons and in all situations.
I’m not there yet, but the Lord is working in me to make me more grateful. I am grateful for this gift of gratefulness. The worth of our day and our lives is not determined by our circumstances. Each day is a gift from God and He is good. Let us give Him all thanks and praise.