A Grateful Heart

Unthankfulness will lead you to the hardness of heart and unbelief, limiting what God can do through you and for you. This is the hard lesson learned by most of the nation of Israel that wandered in the desert for 40 years.

It may be due to unbelief when we feel like we're wandering, barely having our needs met. You have enough faith, but maybe you have too much complaining and unthankfulness clouding your heart from seeing God's path of provision.

Oftentimes, a lack of gratitude is the effect of holding on to our baggage from the past. The holidays are upon us. If you grew up in a home where the fighting and stress increased, you might still have difficulty enjoying the holidays today.

The way out is to cultivate thankfulness to the degree that new memories and experiences overwrite the triggers from the past. It's hard at the moment to choose a new state of mind when the present triggers pain from the past, but if you can choose gratitude ahead of time, your heart and mind will be prepared to respond well and have new automatic responses of joy.

Gratitude is proactive. A thankful person doesn't wait for something good to happen to be grateful toward God. A thankful mindset is aware of all God has done in Christ. True thankfulness gives thanks in all things because it knows that no matter what happens, we have a hopeful future in eternity with our Father in Heaven.

Gratitude doesn't deny the pain and sorrow of this life; it just doesn't focus on it and allow those things to be bigger than God. The thankful heart praises the name of God because he knows that God is his creator and gave him life.

Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3

How Can You Be Proactively Thankful?

The Apostle instructs us on thankfulness in Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Every time we address God, we should do so in an attitude of thankfulness. What's your typical emotional attitude toward God when you speak to Him? Many of us come before him and into his gates not with praise but with worry, fear, disappointment, anger, uncertainty, etc. If you are honest with yourself, what is your general attitude toward God when you pray?

I'm not suggesting you fake it before God; sometimes you're going to be upset and afraid when you pray, but you can change your mind and focus your heart on His nature and character to pull out of the sorrow and confusion. God wants us to cast our cares upon him because he cares for us. But once we cast them, we are to put on the mindset that God is good and faithful and will keep His promises. The ungrateful heart leads to doubt, which leads to not being able to enter into the promises that God has already made to us in Christ. Ingratitude is a faith killer, and it takes faith to experience the fruit of God's promises in your life.

When you cultivate gratitude as your state of heart and mind and prayer, it will yield peace, and that peace will guard your heart. Your heart, or inner man, affects everything you do. If it's guarded by peace, you will be clearer on what His Word says and yield to His influence more—choosing to be grateful yields peace in your heart, which produces unlimited benefits.

What Steps Will You Take To Cultivate Thankfulness?

Paul gives practical steps to turn your heart toward gratitude.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

Put it into practice, and you will experience God's peace. And when you experience His peace, you become a fertile breeding ground for all the kingdom's benefits and blessings to grow into your life. Praise Him, give Him thanks proactively, and watch your life change!

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