I remember the first time I read these words in the Every Day Deserves a Chance written by Max Lucado. I thought to myself, could joy really be as simple as learning to be grateful? Could happiness be found even during life’s most harrowing times? I turned to scripture for my answer.
Giving thanks is so important to being able to hear God’s voice. Why? Because just like our praise or worship, gratitude is something God responds too. When we make gratitude our default emotion, we find ourselves able to express the deepest levels of gratitude even in tough situations. Scripture tell us that God inhabits the praises of His people. That means when we create an atmosphere of praise, worship and thanksgiving, we can expect God to inhabit, or dwell in the midst of, our praises. When the presence of God floods your circumstance, everything—including you—changes for the better.
According to Philippians 4:6, everything we ask of God should be accompanied by thanksgiving. By developing an attitude of thanksgiving, we position ourselves to receive greater blessings from God. It creates the right recipe to induce greater intimacy with God as well as sets the stage for us to operate in His will for our life. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, admonishes us to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
There it is in black and white. Thanksgiving, continual prayer and perpetual joy are the will of God for our lives! So stop worrying about tomorrow and focus on the goodness of today. Gratitude is always an option, so let it be yours! When life tosses you around like a ship without a sail, learn to stop, take a deep breath and focus on all the things that didn’t go wrong. Not too long ago, I experienced several ship-tossing ordeals that came in the form of a flat tire, loss of electricity, betrayal of a close friend, and death of a co-worker. At the end of the day, I was ready to jump overboard until my focus changed. Instead of focusing on all the negative things, I began to thank God for all of the good things. I thanked him for the stranger that changed my flat tire. I thanked him for the candle-lit family time at dinner. I even thanked him for sending me new friends who would treat me with respect. In no time at all, my sorrow was lifted and I found myself laughing and enjoying life.
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