Learning Center - Bible Studies

Gratitude is an Attitude
by Rev. Ty McGehee

Thanksgiving is a time that we as a society have set aside to give thanks for the harvest or plenty that we have received. Thanksgiving is a day that has always perplexed me in its meaning. Why do we set aside one day a year to be thankful? As a Christian I have to ask, “Are we not to be thankful everyday?” It is sad that for some Christians the only time that they really take to truly be thankful is on this one day of the year. For me as a Christian everyday is a day that I am thankful for, I rejoice in the day that the Lord has made.

I strongly feel that an attitude of gratitude can bring dramatic changes in a persons’ life. In life it is your attitude that affects the way that you live your daily walk with God. If you have a bad attitude you will never be able to live in the full potential that God has for you. There are 138 verses in the Bible that deal with “thanksgiving” – gratitude as an attitude is a Biblical principle.

A heart that does not carry an attitude of gratitude will quickly be filled with anger, hatred, malice, bitterness, and vile speech. The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us put away all these negative things and let kindness and goodness comes from our hearts. A heart with gratitude is a heart that is filled with love, the love of God. In such a heart there is no room or place for negative things that will stifle our growth in God.

In a heart of gratitude there is no place for anxiety. Do you realize that when a heart is full of thankfulness that anxiety cannot dwell in its mist? In the sixth chapter of Matthew, we are told that God provides for the bird every need so how much more will he provide for our needs. We can take comfort in knowing He will provide no matter what. O’ how thankful I am for God’s providence in my life. It reminds me of Martin Luther, the great reformer, saying that a little robin was the greatest preacher that he had ever seen. Every night he would place breadcrumbs on the windowsill and the little bird would come, eat, then fly away to a tree and sign songs of gratitude to the Lord, and then fall asleep. This little bird did not worry about a thing. When we have a heart of gratitude and we are praising God anxiety cannot find a place within our hearts.

It is the attitudes of our heart that affects our outcomes in life. What are you looking for in life? More importantly what are you finding in life? Are you finding the positive side of life or are you seeing the negative side of life? If all you are seeing is the negative then it is time for an attitude shift. Start looking for the good in life and give thanks to God. The power of praise can take the discouragements of life and turn them into thanksgivings.

You may be asking how can I start to change my attitude. The first thing is to realize God’s sovereignty in your life. It is God that provides for all your needs, all that you have comes from God, and it is because of this that we can begin to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. We need to reflect daily upon the goodness of God in our lives. Then we must learn to give ourselves to others. It is through selfless giving that we entertain a heart of thankfulness for what God has given to us and allowed us to give to others. When others see your attitude of gratitude what they are seeing is the reflection of God’s grace in your life and that will draw them to want to know Jesus.