5 Days From Growing Grateful by Mary KassianExemplo

Grateful with Praise and Thanksgiving

Did you know that there are more than two thousand verses in the Bible that encourage us to be grateful? They exhort us to “Praise the Lord!” “Give thanks to the Lord!” and “Bless the Lord!” Praise focuses on God’s character and nature. It expresses awe and gratitude for who He is. Giving thanks focuses on God’s gifts and other benefits we receive from Him. It expresses gratitude for what He does. To bless God is to praise and thank Him with reverence.

Christian gratitude takes the spotlight off self and shines it on God. Rather than simply being thankful for something we have received, our hearts overflow with praise and thanksgiving for everything He is and everything He does. This forces us to move beyond adoring the gift to adoring the Giver.

Are you as surprised as I was to find out how many times the Bible encourages us to be grateful? Thousands! The number is staggering. It’s far more than the number of times we’re encouraged to pray or to forgive. I think it’s fair to conclude from these frequent exhortations that gratitude is not an incidental, secondary virtue in the Christian life. It’s of primary importance. Godly people are grateful people. And they’re grateful, above all, with praise and thanks to God.

MEDITATION

Why do you think the Bible places such emphasis on being grateful to God? How does gratitude take the spotlight off self and shine it on Him? Which character traits of God are you the most grateful for?

GROW GRATEFUL

Spend some time praising God for who He is and what He does.