Thankfulness is Learned

Pastor Leon Aguilera

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endurethfor ever.² O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endurethfor ever.³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endurethfor ever.–Psalm 136:1-3

                The Bible doesn’t hesitate to urge us to thank God. If you are a new creation in Christ, the process of thanksgiving should be a continual interest to you. Psalm 136:1-3 records a three-peat command to “give thanks” followed by this echoed and overwhelming reason: “for his mercy endurethfor ever.”

These verses and the rest of this Psalm urge us to remember we are giving thanks to One who doesn’t need our thanks. Yet He receives our gratitude anyway and loves us with a steadfast, everlasting love. God deserves every effort we can make to improve our capacity for thanksgiving.

Scripture shows there are three learned levels of thankfulness, and every follower of Jesus is enrolled in the school of gratitude. But too many are flunking out, having forgotten God’s steadfast, enduring love. That’s why a regular review of the development of a thankful heart is important. We never fully graduate from the school of thankfulness.

First, there’s basic elementary school thankfulness. Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Thanksgiving is the sacrifice.

You might think, Okay, I know I should be more thankful. Fine, I’ll make a list of things I’m grateful for. I’ll make the sacrifice. I’ll be thankful.

Congratulations—you’re an elementary school graduate. It’s a place to start, but don’t stay there!

Once you have developed a consistent habit of thanksgiving, it’s time to graduate to the next level: high school thankfulness. First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks.”

You’re making progress in gratitude when you discover something to be thankful for in every situation. The picture may be dismal, but learn to find a bright spot—a hint of God’s presence. For example, you may not feel thankful for your spouse at the moment, but you’re thankful for your kids and the life you have together. Or you might not feel thankful for your job, but you’re thankful for your health insurance and the ability to provide for yourself. In other words, go after deliberate, if selective, gratitude.

Finding something to be thankful for in everything is certainly a step above having only random grateful thoughts. But there is still plenty of room for developing a deeply thankful heart. Here’s what you’re going for: graduate school thankfulness. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

No matter what’s happening, no matter how dark the moment, God is in control. He can be explicitly trusted. He’s working out a purpose beyond what you can imagine. Some of it you’ll see in this life; some of it you’ll see in the life to come. Give thanks to God—always and for everything! Go for it. Thank Him for the hardest part of your life. Just say, “Thank You, God, even for this,” and trust in His steadfast love which endures forever.