Do you know why you should be thankful? If yes, read on. Discover how keeping a grateful heart will benefit you and will make a great difference in your life!
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Why should you be thankful? Do you choose to be thankful rather than complain, murmur, or grumble? Do you see any reason to be thankful in any situation even during the darkest time? These are some of the questions you need to answer if you want to improve your physical and spiritual life.
For most people, it is difficult to be thankful especially when things don’t go their way. However, do you know that being thankful should be part of our lives as Christians? In this post, let me show you at least ten reasons why we must be thankful.
1. We must be thankful because God is good and loving
In 1 Chronicles 16:34 we read:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.In Psalm 107:8-9, we also read the same idea:
Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
If it wasn’t for God’s goodness and love, we all have been gone right now. We deserve nothing but death when we sin and rebel against God. But instead of destroying us, God gives us the opportunity to change for the better. Thus, the goodness of God leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
2. We must be thankful because it is the will of God
We often pray to God for His will to be done in our lives. In fact, this is part of the model prayer Yahshua or Jesus taught us. If we want to follow God’s will, then part of that is we must be thankful.
We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18;
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
3. We must be thankful because we are called to be part of God’s kingdom
Most people come and go on this earth without even knowing their purpose in life. Well, I tell today, you were born to be part of God’s eternal kingdom and family!
This life prepares us for our future role in the Kingdom of God, and that is something that we should be thankful for. Having this hope and knowledge gives meaning to our lives.
We read in I Peter 2:9:
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
4. We must be thankful because it helps us to be at peace
Philippians 4:6 tells us:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
Being thankful causes us to focus on how God can solve our problems. It gives us the ability to look into God for help rather than concentrate on our problems which makes us anxious. Thanking God for all the good things He has done gives us the peace of mind. It keeps us at peace knowing that God is with us and nothing can be against us.
Paul added in Colossians 3:15:
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
5. We must be thankful for it helps us worship God
When we are grateful, it is easier for us to worship God. Why? Because thankfulness and praise are intimately connected. We can’t praise God if we are not thankful. At the same time, we can’t be thankful to God without praising Him.
These are some of the verses that tell us that we must be thankful and worship God at the same time:
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalms 100:4).“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods” (Psalms 95:2-3).“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:16-17).
6. We must be thankful because God is gracious
God’s grace is unmerited favor. We didn’t do anything to obtain God’s grace. It is not because of our works or goodness that earn us His love and mercy. Instead, God is gracious because it is His very nature and His grace should cause us to be thankful.
We read in 2 Corinthians 4:15-16:
“For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.”
7. We must be thankful because God gave us a spiritual family
The Apostle Paul expressed his gratitude to God because of the faithfulness of the brethren. He wrote, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:8).
As Christians called into the body of Christ, we have a spiritual family bonded by a common faith. Having this family allows us to be stronger because of the support that we get. The brethren enable us to learn, grow, and appreciate God’s love for us. Thus, it is only logical that we must be thankful for our brethren.
8. We must be thankful because it is good for us
Sometimes, we need to be grateful not for others’ sake, but for ourselves. Having a thankful attitude allows us to be happier. Thanking God for everything even for the smallest things sets off a natural response in our body that ultimately lead us to a more peaceful, content, and blessed life.
We read in Psalm 92:1-3:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
9. We must be thankful because of God’s blessings
In 2 Corinthians 9:15, we read how Paul thank God for his blessings:
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
Paul is saying that God has given us blessings so incredible that no words can describe or express it. We are completely left in awe and humility toward God’s tremendous blessings – something that our human mind can’t fully grasp and conceive.
While it is true that we might suffer or plagued with a lot of bad things happening in our lives, we will never come to the point that we have nothing to be thankful for.
10. We must be thankful because it helps us avoid sin
A person who always complains is more prone to sinning compared to a person who is thankful. This is because a grateful heart is less likely to covet. Being thankful allows us to concentrate on the things that we have and not on the things that we don’t have. It helps us appreciate what God has already done for us.
The ancient Israelites were unthankful people, and they constantly murmured against God. Their murmuring eventually led to pride, dissension, quarrel, rebellion, and ultimately death.
When we are thankful, we have a better mindset needed to overcome various types of sin.
Final thoughts
These are just some of the reasons why we must be thankful. When we look around, we can see a lot of reasons for us to be thankful. It only takes a godly mindset to understand and appreciate all those things.
There’s no doubt, having a thankful heart does not come naturally. Thus, using a gratitude journal and writing down all the things that you are thankful for can make a big difference.
In the final analysis, being thankful is for our own good. Thus, let us not see it as something optional. Let us learn how to be thankful and appreciate God’s love, mercy, and goodness in our lives and together, let us all be thankful!
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I am grateful!
Just finished reading the ten reasons we should be Thankful. Beautifully written. I enjoyed it and I’m planning to share it with my sunday school class. Keep the Great Work going.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you and your group will be blessed by the articles of this website. Blessings and peace to you. 🙂
Thank you for the 10 reasons why we must be thankful. May God bless you.
You’re welcome Femi. 🙂