Kingdom of God – Gratitude

10-12 mins read

It’s been a while since I wrote a blog at all, and even longer since I wrote my last blog in the Kingdom of God series. I’ve been busy with other projects.

Today is a big festival in various parts of the world. Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated in the United States, Canada (celebrated in early to mid October), Brazil, Liberia and parts of the West Indies. For many in the US, it’s a bigger holiday than Christmas!

What better day then than to consider the Kingdom of God value of gratitude, or thankfulness!

The Thanksgiving holiday’s history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival. Pilgrims who emigrated from England in the 1620s and 1630s carried the tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving with them to New England.

In November 1963 President John F. Kennedy wrote, “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving. On the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together, and for the faith which united them with their God.”

Thankful and Thriving

The Apostle Paul says, ‘Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.‘ (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT).

That’s unambiguous and crystal clear! We are each commanded to give thanks. When? In all circumstances! Why? Because it’s God’s will for you! Whatever else you may be confused about concerning God’s will, this part is clear. It’s not a suggestion – it’s a commandment.

Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.

John Henry Jowett, British theologian

There are more commands in Scripture about thanksgiving than anything else. Why is this? Is it because God is a little vain and likes being thanked often? No. I suggest it’s because God knows it’s good for you!

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In August 2010 June had pain in her left lower left back radiating down her left leg. We prayed and she felt warmth and an easing. She kept reporting progress and said the pain had eased a lot and it felt stronger to stand on. The next day she texted to say, ‘I feel amazing. Pain in back and leg gone. Just a dull ache in the hip…thanks be to God!’ The following day June sent a further text saying, ‘Thanks to the Lord. My back is healed’.

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In an article for CNN in November 2019 entitled “Why being thankful is so good for your health“, US physician Richard Gunderman wrote, “Research shows that grateful people tend to be healthy and happy. They exhibit lower levels of stress and depression, cope better with adversity and sleep better. They tend to be happier and more satisfied with life. Even their partners tend to be more content with their relationships. Perhaps when we are more focused on the good things we enjoy in life, we have more to live for and tend to take better care of ourselves and each other.“

Gunderman continues, “When researchers asked people to reflect on the past week and write about things that either irritated them or about which they felt grateful, those tasked with recalling good things are more optimistic, feel better about their lives, and actually visit their physician less. It is no surprise that receiving thanks makes people happier, but so does expressing gratitude. An experiment that asked participants to write and deliver thank-you notes found large increases in reported levels of happiness, a benefit that lasted for an entire month.”

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Jean Smith was in her mid-sixties. She came from Cwmbran in Wales. She had been blind for sixteen years. She had a white stick, and a guide dog named Tina. An infection had eaten away at the retinas and mirrors behind her eyes – they could not be replaced. She was in constant pain.

Jean went on a local Alpha course. They had a day away to focus on the work of the Holy Spirit. During this time, the pain left. She went to church the following Sunday to thank God. The minister anointed her with oil. As she wiped the oil away she could see the communion table. God had miraculously healed Jean.

She had not seen her husband for sixteen years. She was surprised at how white his beard was! Jean had never even seen her daughter-in-law before. Her six-and-a-half-year-old grandson used to guide her around the puddles to avoid her getting her feet wet.

He said to her, ‘Who done that Gran?’
She replied, ‘Jesus made me better.’
‘I hope you said thank you, Gran.’
‘I will never stop saying thank you,’ she answered.

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Psalm 100.4-5 (ESV) says:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

I love the Message paraphrase of the same verses:

Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.

For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.

Praising and thanking God is almost like ringing the doorbell at His house. Let His eagerness to be with you stir up your eagerness to be with Him. This is the delight of communion.

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

G K Chesterton, English Writer, Philosopher and Theologian

Attitude of Gratitude

Why does God need to remind us to give thanks? For the same reason you remind your child to do it – it’s considerate and, until it becomes habitual, we forget! David, a man after God’s own heart, prodded his often-forgetful soul into thanksgiving:

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

Psalm 103:1,2 ESV

The psalmist goes on to list some benefits – He forgives ALL your sins, heals ALL your diseases, saved your life, crowned you with love and compassion. These benefits, and so many more! He has given you much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving is the lens through which to view your entire life.

Nicky Gumbel, vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton and founder of the Alpha course

• Did you go to bed dry and warm last night, and did you wake up dry and warm this morning? Thank God for the roof over your head.
• Did you leave the house unaided this morning? Thank God for your physical health.
• Are you in a good mood today, and feeling content? Thank God for your mental health.
• Have you been grocery shopping this week? Thank God for money in your purse/wallet/bank to pay for life’s essentials.
• Have you had a meal today? Thank God for the food in your cupboard and refrigerator.
• Did you shower this morning? Thank God for clean, running, heated water.
• Have you had a drink of water today from the tap or fridge? Thank God for that provision. 33% of the world’s population (over 2 billion people) aren’t so fortunate.

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Mary says, “Soon after I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), I found a group on social media for people with Parkinson’s and their carers. I joined it, and was impressed by the positive attitude and friendliness of the group. A few people added a post each day. At about that time, a friend in Spain (not in the Parkinson’s group) had just gone into lockdown and she responded by posting on Social Media “a thankful post”. I thought this was a good idea, so I copied it and posted something I was thankful for in the Parkinson’s group. I then did the same the next day – and soon I realised that this was something that was really appreciated. I found myself doing it every day! I now have quite a following of people who also share what they are thankful for! One day when I forgot to post, I got a private message from an administrator checking that I was OK! Doing this has helped me as much as anyone else reading my posts! It has helped me to focus on what God is doing rather than on the things I don’t like. And as I am now going through some challenges with my health,  my little following of thankful people are now supporting me and sending me best wishes. So we all win from this – and I have been reminded how social media can be used for good!

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Giving Thanks in all Circumstances

Remember, you are to give thanks in all circumstances, even when your circumstances are really challenging! With the Covid-19 pandemic, you might be in lockdown and quite isolated. You might have lost your job. You might even have lost a loved one to this disease. Even at his lowest point in the belly of a whale, Jonah recognised the need to thank God: ‘When I was in danger, I called to the Lord… I will praise and thank you‘ (Jonah 2:2, 9 NCV).

One act of thanksgiving when things go wrong with us is worth a thousand thanks when things are agreeable to our inclination.

St John of Avila (1500–1569)

When the Apostle Paul tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, he’s not saying that every circumstance you encounter is necessarily God’s will. Pastor Jack Hayford observes: ‘In every insurance policy is this provision, “except it be an act of God,” and culturally defined, [they’re] the worst things that happen. I’ve heard people interpret it, “Well, whatever happens is the will of God…give thanks…and praise God”…The Bible doesn’t say everything is God designed…it says in it, through it and beyond it he can work good…”

Hayford continues, “The will of God in Christ” is that we give thanks and praise God in the middle of it. Why, because we feel good? No, but because praying without ceasing introduces a song of praise into the situation…Muddling and praying our way through the best we can isn’t going to be good enough. Whereas the best he can make of it will be something that will bring the reason the Bible tells us “in everything give thanks”.’

Bottom line: in any given set of circumstances you can choose gratitude or grumpiness.

Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life.

Alexander Maclaren

“In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5.18). You might like to thank God for…

1. His love (Psalm 107.15).
2. His provision (Philippians 4.6).
3. His forgiveness (Psalm 103.2-3).
4. His Word (Psalm 119.62).
5. His creation (Psalm 136.3-9).
6. His people (1 Thessalonians 1.2, Philemon 1.4).
7. His plan for your life (1 Corinthians 15.57, Hebrews 12.28-29).

Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude.

Philippians 4.6, The Passion Translation

Radio host and author Nancy Leigh DeMoss observes: ‘Gratitude is a hard-fought, grace-infused, biblical lifestyle…and [its] transforming power is reserved for those who know and acknowledge the Giver of every good gift and who are recipients of his redeeming grace.’

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day we bow our hearts to You and pray. We give You thanks for all You’ve done, especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son. For beauty in nature, Your glory we see. For joy and health, friends and family. For daily provision, your mercy and care—these are the blessings You graciously share with us. So today we offer this response of praise with a promise to follow You all of our days.

— Mary Fairchild