Gratefulness is a command from God. First Thessalonians 5:18 says it is God’s will to give thanks in everything. According to Philippians 4:6 and Psalm 100:4, we are to pray with thanksgiving. God‘s children should be grateful people! Whereas whining and complaining are music to the devil’s ears, praise is a sweet sound to the ears of our Savior. If you want to really gut punch the devil, then start praising the Lord. If you want to stop anxiety in your life, lower your stress, be a happier person, and become a thankful person, then start thanking the Lord . When you are grateful for what God has done in your life, you will begin noticing God do more in your life.
Be grateful by counting your blessings.
When was the last time you thanked God for how good He is to you? Stop focusing on your problems and begin looking at your blessings.
Be grateful by expressing your gratitude.
Make a list of three people you can thank in the next couple days. Maybe it’s friends, parents, siblings, pastors, teachers, neighbors, people that encourage you, or people that pray for you. Express your gratitude through a text, a letter, a phone call, or telling them in person. Let them know specifically how grateful you are for their lives.
Be grateful by writing thank you cards.
Thank you cards seem to be a lost art from the past, but they are a powerful encouragement that can still be used today. Make a goal of writing three to five thank you cards within the next week.
Be grateful by serving others.
Be a channel of blessing with your words, your influence, your means, and your actions to others. Every individual has the power to encourage someone with their words and actions. Choose to encourage others. Give a helping hand. Smile. Don’t withhold compliments. God has been good to you, so be kind to others.
“Now when they had gone… and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come… but the Spirit suffered them not… And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, … assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.” — Acts 16:6-10
Paul and Timothy began their journeys with anticipation and open doors, serving God and seeing much fruit. As they continued on, they desired to go but “the Spirit suffered them not” (vs. 6). They tried to go again, but again they were “forbidden” (vs. 7). God does not see fit to tell us whether the closed doors were because of money, lack of peace within themselves, being refused by authority, or something else. We do not know how they were hindered from entering, we just know the Spirit didn’t allow them to go. Finally, they had a vision and a man “prayed him,” saying come over and help us (vs. 9). But I want to draw your attention where God’s Word says they “assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us” to go preach there (vs. 10). It’s as if they were prohibited twice to enter and then very clearly told to go, and at that time they understood this must be where God was calling them. This is contrary to what most Christians believe, or at least practice. We want to have full confirmation and then move, but it appears Paul just moved forward serving God wherever he went, leaving the geographical stopping point up to God. Paul didn’t care where he would serve, he just knew he was going to serve the Lord… and God would take care of the “where.”
May we have the same attitude as Paul of not worrying about “where,” just serving God faithfully and letting Him take care of the geography. If He closes a door, accept that from Him and continue forward. We are called to a Person, not to a place!
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. (Proverbs 11:24-26)
These verses are packed with both practical and gospel advice. We can withhold what we have, attempting to save up more, or we can give it away and watch God replenish. As the bottomless oil pot when the widow continued pouring into other pots, so is the person that continues giving… God just keeps filling the vessel. You can’t out-give God!
As a young child, I remember a missionary visiting our small church. As soon as church finished, my dad loaded our family into the van and we headed towards the house. We walked in the house and my dad began to open our cabinets and place groceries in a box and brown paper bags. My mom had recently been grocery shopping, so the majority of our groceries were still unopened. Dad pulled out my favorite sour-cream-and-onion chips, snacks, and bread. He then loaded us back into the family van and we drove to a spot where we met the missionary. I was very young and do not remember all that was said, but looking over the van seat I saw my dad open the trunk, pick up the groceries, and hand them over to the missionary. There were a few nods, handshakes, smiles, and then my family was off again to the house. Many years have passed, and I don’t know who that missionary was or what my dad said, but that moment greatly impacted me. We didn’t have much money, but I can tell you that we never ran out of food. God gave back what my dad generously gave away. You can never out-give God!
Allow me to give you a few thoughts on why not to withhold:
Your Withholding Hurts You
“there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
When you withhold, it does the complete opposite of what you desire. Instead of filling your pocket, it burns a hole in your pocket. The Lord teaches that when you lose your life, you will find it. When you try to hold onto your time, your talent, and your treasure, you lose it instead of investing and enjoying it. God told the Israelites that their selfish withholding was placing their wages into a bag with holes (Haggai 1:6). Instead of tightly holding onto your possessions, release them into God’s hands to be multiplied for His use.
Your Giving Blesses Others
“The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
God says it is better to give than to receive (Luke 6:38). Just as with the fish and bread, God can multiply and use your little for His glory. It’s the widow’s mite that God recognizes. It’s the lunch of the lad and the last cake of a widow woman that God seems to use in His work. Don’t worry about the amount, just concern yourself with being part of God’s great channel of blessing to those around you. All you have came from God, so place it back into God’s hand and see what He will do with it!
Your Giving Affects Others
“He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.”
When Mary broke the alabaster box, God said she would be remembered throughout the world. Her gift was not a waste, and it is written down to not be forgotten. What you do for God will not be forgotten either (Hebrews 6:10). When you give to others, that specific person is blessed, God is blessed, you are blessed, and all those around you are blessed. The course of my life was impacted by my dad’s generous gift to an unknown missionary… those unopened groceries my dad gave taught me that giving to others is better than keeping for one’s self.
According to these verses, the liberal soul (generous giver) will be blessed and prospered. He will not go hungry or run out. He has watered and now will be watered. He has been a blessing and now will receive a blessing. But the person that withholds the goods (specifically corn in this verse) will be cursed, while the one who makes it available will be blessed. The conclusion seems to be that when you stop thinking of yourself and start thinking of others, the blessings begin to pour out on you. So, learn to generously scatter instead of stingily withholding.
“Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him… And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.” — Acts 12:1-19
Peter was placed in prison and “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (vs. 5). They loved Peter and they needed Peter. He was an example, a pillar of the church, and a blessing to the church. No wonder they prayed God would free him. Soon, God sends an angel to the prison to free Peter. He goes back to where “many were gathered together praying” (vs. 12) and knocks on the door. A young lady comes to answer and runs back inside telling everyone Peter was at the door. After not believing it was him, they finally answer and “they were astonished” (vs. 16). This is amazing.Not just because of the miracle God performed by getting him out, but because believers were praying specifically God would free Peter. And when God did, they were all “astonished.” They acted surprised, not believing God really did answer their prayers.
We have a promise in Matthew 7:7 that if we ask we will receive. James 4:2 tells us that we have not because we ask not. John 14:14 says that “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” This truth is repeated many times throughout the Word of God (John 14:13; 15:16; 16:23-24; I John 3:22; 5:14-15).
It is thrilling to know that when we ask, God answers. We may not always receive right away. We may not even receive what we want because God knows best. Yet God does answer. Almost every one of us could give testimony thatthis truth is not just theory, we have seen it at some point become a reality.
Allow me to share one of the many, many times that God has allowed me to see this truth become real in my life. My wife and I were planning to serve God in Argentina as missionaries. While we traveled in the US raising funds to go, we prayed that God would give us souls to be saved and laborers to surrender in Argentina. When we arrived to language school in Peru, we continued praying this prayer. When we arrived on the field of Argentina, we continued our prayer and asked that God would send us those we had been praying for. God began to send us people who were being saved, people who would lead ministries, men and women who would become pillars in the churches, and many other blessings. We were “astonished” at what God was doing. And we were reminded that our great God told us if we would ask, He would answer. God not only answers, but He blesses above and beyond what His children ask. God is good!
Paul and Silas were proclaiming the Gospel and seeing people saved, and their efforts made evil men very upset. They were beat and thrown in prison, not for any wrongdoing, but because they were serving the Lord. This throws quite the wrench into the “prosperity gospel” philosophy, but it is a clear fact that it will not always be easy serving the Lord. My attention is drawn to the fact that they do not become mad or bitter at God for their mistreatment, in fact, they still do right even in the hard times. Here are a few principles from this passage:
Will Not Always Be Easy.
Christ told His disciples that “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33), and Paul told Timothy that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Doing right is not the easiest way, but it’s always the best way. What is easy is not always right, and what is right is not always easy.
Stay Encouraged.
Though they were beaten and now locked up in prison, they still “sang praises unto God” (vs. 25). If your eyes are on God and not your problems, you will always have a reason to sing. Times might be tough, but the command remains to “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4). No matter the trials you find yourself in, you can “count it all joy” (James 1:2). Keep your eyes on the Savior and not on your circumstances!
The Reward Comes Later.
It’s wonderful seeing fruit (people saved, Christians growing, lives improving, property purchased, new ministry starting, etc.), but fruit isn’t always visible on our timetable. Sometimes God allows His servants to see fruit, but sometimes it’s under the surface. This is not easy, and many times we wrongly identify ourselves with the fruit. The fruit is to belong to God, for His glory, not ours. This is one of the greatest temptations, in my opinion, for God’s servants.
Whether the fruit is visible or not, or immediate or not, fruit always comes after the work. The plant doesn’t grow before the seed is planted. The reward will come after. This tells us that firstly, God is in charge of the increase, and secondly, we must plant and water if we expect the reward. If we give up before time, we may never see the fruit/reward (Galatians 6:9).
Paul and Silas initially did right, and then maintained the right attitude when going through this difficult time. Because they continued doing right, “the prisoners heard them” (vs. 25). There’s always others watching your life, especially when you’re going through hard times (it’s the test to see if you will live what you preach). And now, because of their example, they were able to see the jailer and his family saved. If they would’ve gotten mad, quit preaching, denied when caught, or kept silent, they would’ve not seen the reward. Continue on, dear servants, for the reward always comes after the labor, and in the time the Lord deems right.
“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption” — Acts 13:36
As Paul stood to beckon with the audience in Acts 13:15-43, he gave the history of Israel. His aim was to show the connection with Jesus the Messiah. During Paul’s message, he refers specifically to David, revealing insights about his life. Consider what Paul points out about the life of David:
David was a man after God’s own heart — vs. 22.
This speaks of the heart. David failed many times, but when he fell, he repented and jumped back up. Psalms 32 and 51 are great examples of David’s repentant heart after straying from God. A just man falls seven times, but rises again (Proverbs 24:16). When you fall, get back up.
This also speaks of God’s character. God could have remembered David for his sin with Bathsheba, the killing of Uriah or his pride to make a census in Israel. Yet God does as is customary of His character, remembering the good and forgetting the bad. And God continues this practice today. He forgives over and over. He separates our sin as far as east is from west, remembering it no more. He’s a good God!
David fulfilled “all (God’s) will” — vs. 22.
This speaks of priority. David’s priority was for God and God’s work. This should be our priority as well. God doesn’t want to just be in your life, He wants to be priority in your life. We are to seek first God’s Kingdom (Matthew 6:33)
David was going to fulfill (bring to completion) all God wanted him to do. We as well should not only fulfill what God gives us, but be sensitive to know what He wants us to do.
David “served his own generation” — vs. 36.
This speaks of focus. The focus should not be on self, but on God. To serve God and to serve others is the responsibility of every child of God. Paul told the Corinthian Christians, “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” (1 Corinthians 9:19). There’s no room for selfishness in God’s service.
As I was growing up, my pastor consistently repeated his favorite Bible verse from the pulpit. Since repetition is the mother of all learning, my pastor was very affective in causing the flock to meditate on the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:58. The verse commands Christians to “always abound” in the work of the Lord. Continual growth should be part of a Christian’s life. Allow me to offer a few areas in which a child of God should be continually growing:
Emotional Growth
According to Proverbs 16:32b, “he that ruleth his spirit (is better) than he that taketh a city.” To further validate the principle of controlling one’s spirit, Proverbs 25:28 says, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” The conclusion is that controlling one’s emotions makes an individual strong whereas not controlling one’s emotions make one vulnerable for attack and destruction.
A child of God should master their emotions and not be mastered by them. Thank the Lord for feelings as we would be rather bland without them. But though feelings are good, life should not be navigated by our feelings. A child of God walks by faith, not by sight or emotions. Sadness, anger, and weariness have their place, but they should be subject to the individual instead of controlling the individual. A child of God should strive to grow in their emotional life.
Spiritual Growth
According to James 4:8, God’s Word says you should “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” And Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Ask yourself the honest question, “Am I growing in my spiritual life?” God wants to draw nigh to you, and He will fill you, it lies on you to determine to grow in your spiritual walk with Him.
Relational Growth
Growing in your relationships with others has much more to do with your efforts than it does with the efforts of others. According to Proverbs 18:24, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.” Do not wait for someone else to say hello, say thank you, smile, wave, or begin a conversation, decide to take the initiative and be the first to reach out. Pray for others, love others, help others, and be kind to others. Grow in your relationships.
Physical Growth
Life has a way of becoming busier while also forcing one to be less mobile. We sit in front of screens at work and at home, only going outside or standing up when necessary. A few walks, light exercise, and looking at God’s beautiful creation would do everyone good. As life speeds up, be purposeful at slowing down to enjoy the small aspects, such as a picnic, gardening, hiking, bird watching, exploring, or just enjoying a little sun outside.
Marital Growth
If you were to rank your marital harmony on a scale of one to ten, what would you put down? Now, if you were to ask your spouse to put down their answer, would they agree or disagree with your ranking? This is not to cause an argument, but to help you see there is always room for improvement and growth in your marriage. Make it a challenge to study your spouse. And if you are not married, determine to grow to be the right person for your future spouse.
Academic Growth
After King Solomon says it’s better to sharpen an axe then use brute strength, he says, “Wisdom is profitable to direct” (Ecclesiastes 10:10). Though you should be willing to work hard, you should also learn to work smarter. There are books people have written about how to succeed on any given area. There are podcasts, audio, lessons, and videos made to teach someone instead of learning by trial and error. You will not live long enough to make all the mistakes yourself, so be wise and grow in the needed areas of your life. Proverbs 1:5 teaches that “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning.” Whether you read, hear, watch, or speak to someone, determine to increase in your learning.
It’s been said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. If you desire improvement, regardless of the area, then growth is required. You don’t have to plateau or become stagnate in your life; you can decide to grow!
