GRATITUDE – YOUR RESPONSES
In our Faith Builders Bible Class, we have chosen thirteen topics from Philippians and Colossians. The first one, taken from Philippians 1:1-11, is gratitude. Here are some responses received so far from those in the class.
Please add your own thoughts in the comments section below.
Greg Hubbell, one of our shepherds, writes:
When I think of gratitude (thankfulness), there are so many hymns and verses which come to mind that it is hard to start. Below are a few, starting with some that we don’t sing much anymore.
Hymns: Sing On, Ye Joyful Pilgrims, He Keeps Me Singing, Lord I Adore Thee, O Love that Will Not Let Me Go, My Jesus I Love Thee
Others: Jesus Paid It All, It is Well with My Soul, Count Your Blessings
Scriptures:
Ezr 3:11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
Ps 18:49 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name.
Ps 30:4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.
Ps 79:13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Ps 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
Ps 97:12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Ps 106:1 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
Ps 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
1 Th 5:16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Greg also recommends this podcast, “What We Are Thankful For.” http://subspla.sh/r4hzffx
Erika Ford, a diligent student of the Word, notes the following Scriptures:
1 Th 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Col 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Ps 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Php 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Ps 106:1 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Co 9:15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
1 Chron 16:8 Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. 9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
Ps 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
Dave Roberts, who coordinates our GriefShare ministry, offers the following:
“Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” – Robert Braathe, Consultant and Professor
“Of all the ‘attitudes’ we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing.” – Zig Ziglar, author and inspirational speaker.
These quotes emphasize the phrase that many speakers use to explain the meaning of having an “Attitude of Gratitude.” M. J. Ryan penned the book Attitudes of Gratitude to provide a process of giving and receiving joy every day of your life.
But what is gratitude? Gratitude is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative with several mental and physical health benefits. When you experience gratitude, you feel grateful for something or someone in your life and respond with feelings of kindness, warmth, and other forms of generosity. (Verywell Mind, 2019).
My coordination of the GriefShare ministry at the church has provided me with ongoing opportunities to express my gratitude to someone. It was many years after my wife died that I had feelings of gratitude changes. I realized that I had been given a gift from God and I had had forty-three wonderful years as her husband. Yes, I miss out on the activities we would have done in our retirement, but God was gracious to allow me to have those many years with her.
The second example of expressed gratitude occurred last week in a phone conversation with my brother, who lives in Atlanta. I expressed my gratitude to him for his support of me when Jan died. He was here the next day after her death and stayed with me for two weeks to help me adjust. I felt the need to tell him thank you for what he did for me and how much closer we became after that.
We try to identify many ways of being thankful/grateful in our GriefShare classes. A few of the suggestions are:
- Make a list of the things we are thankful for – from the people in our lives to the physical surroundings God has made.
- Being thankful for our church family
- Remembering those people who have influenced my life in a positive way
- Be kind to someone else who may be suffering the loss of a loved one. While we help them, we are helping ourselves
When I stop to think about my life, I realize that I have much to be grateful for daily. I trust that I lead an “attitude of gratitude!”
Gratitude is more important than ever to me. With all the negative commentary we see through news and social media we can become bogged down with this. Take a few minutes to think of the positive in our lives. God, our church family, our families, the fact that as Americans we are very blessed and have very little we do without. Be kinder to one another and enjoy the blessings of life.
Peggy, thank you so much. You and Keith are a positive influence in all our lives.
Gratitude is a state of mind; one that allows us to recognize all of the blessings of each day and to realize when prayers are answered, no matter how long ago that prayer was prayed. That down pour that cancelled your picnic, might have been in answer to your prayer a week ago for relief from the dry parched grounds providing kindling for grass fires.
When my husband died from bone cancer, I felt a huge hole in my heart and my life. But as the shock waned, I remembered that I had prayed he not suffer and that he not outlive his mind. Both were happening, so God answered my prayer. When I realized that, I could feel gratitude because he was at peace.
Kathleen, these thoughts remind us that we can find a reason for gratitude in every situation. Thank you so much.