ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

A visual reminder of a famous quote: "The
fragrance remains in the hand that gave the rose."

Have you recently endured (to paraphrase a classic children’s book) a horrible, terrible, no-good very bad day? Such are times that we chafe a bit at Bible verses that command us to be thankful. You know, like this:

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

That doesn’t leave much room for griping about people, problems, pressures, or other perturbing things of life. Impossible? We might think so. And then we run into people who live on a higher standard and inspire us. One was my former pastor, who married us 41 years ago and recently died just after turning ninety. Yes, ninety. At his memorial, his daughter shared that she’d found some of his old journals, dating back nearly forty years. Every day he had written down things for which he was thankful to the Lord. Thousands of thankful items! And that included the difficult, discouraging years of caring at home for his wife, who slipped away slowly of dementia.

All circumstances.

Impossible, except with God’s help, and trust that He knows the bigger picture.

I’ve been around Major Worriers in my lifetime and have to admit to being one myself. But I’m chastised when I read God’s command: “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6).  Right after the command, the “how”:

….but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Some Biblical clues on nurturing that “attitude of gratitude”:

“He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57)

“For He is good, His love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

“From Him and through Him and for him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!” (Romans 11:36)

I could cite more verses, but maybe the compelling image is the vision John had of what happens in heaven:

“I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)

With worshipping angels as role models, what more can I say? Except—to be grateful for the earthly role models that God has placed in my life…like a faithful, devoted pastor who, every day, expressed in his own handwriting his gratitude to God.