A. INTRODUCTION
1. My high school world Lit. “Gratitude is the least remembered of all virtues and is the acid test of character.” Character is defined “Habitually doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right purpose.”
2. Do you take things for granted, or take things with gratitude?
3. Don’t add up your troubles, but count your blessings.
4. Gratitude is one of the nine Fruits of the Spirit. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22, NLT). The word joy is xara “an outward expression of thanksgiving to God.” Joy is not something you get from outward pleasure or things. True joy comes from doing or saying the right things.
5. Gratitude (history).
a. Expression of appreciation given without being asked.
b. Given without force or demand, i.e., apology.
c. Not expecting additional return.
d. Not called for by circumstance.
e. The word gratitude is not found in the King James. Synonym, i.e., thanks, thankfulness.
B. GRATITUDE AND THANKFULNESS IN SCRIPTURES
1. Gratitude/thankful in initial approach to God. “Be thankful unto Him and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4).
2. Gratitude/thankful is a sacrifice (something you don’t have to give). “I will offer Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving” (Psalm 116:17).
3. Jesus gave thanks. “I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me” (John 11:41).
4. Jesus gave thanks for the bread and the cup (Matthew 26:26-27).
5. Paul thanked God for his memory of young believers (Phil. 1:3).
6. Paul instructed to add gratitude/thankfulness to prayers (Phil. 4:6).
C. PRINCIPLES TO GROW GRATITUDE
1. Don’t fall for trap to be thankful only when you feel like it. No! When you are grateful or thankful from your character, you will change your expectations, i.e., you will change your life.
2. Practice gratitude so your emotions will catch up with your attitude.
3. Don’t just thank God for good things – thank Him because He is good.
4. Job praised God in misfortune – the bases for return blessings. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).
5. Praising God in hard times won’t cost you anything, God will see and remember, but focusing on bad things and complaining and criticizing will always pull you down to their level.
6. Look beyond your circumstance to what you have, i.e., forgiveness, justification, accepted, eternal life.
7. Remember, God gives, and He forgives, so give thanks.
8. “If you haven’t learned the language of gratitude, you are not on speaking terms with God.”
9. Harold Vaughan went three-days with only a Gratitude of Thanksgiving in prayer, vowing to not make a request or ask for anything for three days. “The longer I thanked God, the more I realized how fortunate I was.”
10. “In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18). Does this mean thanking God for problems? Does Paul make any distinction between good days and bad days?
11. Always remember what you were before God found you and saved you.
12. If you spend your life looking for the dark . . . the mistakes . . . the sins . . . the people who hurt you . . . you will find them and lots more.
D. 7 GRATEFUL STEPS TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES AND EVIL
1. Pray. “Pray for them which despitefully use you” (Luke 6:28).
2. Do right. “Do to others as you would like them to do to you” (Luke 6:31).
3. Testimony. “. . . truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked” (Luke 6:35, NLT).
4. Do good. “Recompense no one evil for evil” (Romans 12:14).
5. Forget. “Average not yourselves” (Roman 12:19).
6. Give them to God. “I will pay them back, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
7. Conquer evil with good. “Overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
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