Written by: Frank Bennett

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16-18

The verse above encourages us to always rejoice, always pray & to be thankful in all circumstances. I have some quick hitting suggestions on thankfulness. I hope you can find a couple of things you can be intentional about doing & that will make a difference in your life.

Be Thankful in the Morning
I like to spend time in Bible study & prayer in the morning & thereby  arm myself for the day. What if you prayed the little things for which you are thankful. Be thankful for little things...the breath of life, the sunshine & the blue sky or the rain that waters the earth, the power & beauty of the storm, the health & vitality you enjoy, & the encouragement of God's word.

Have you ever heard of a gratitude list. It is a running list of things that you are thankful for, but often take for granted. Add to each each day. Find the positive. Look for, remember & give thanks for answered prayer. Sometimes the answer is seen quickly, but sometimes we don't see it for a long time, maybe in looking back. Psalm 30:11-12 expresses thankfulness for turning my mourning into dancing & clothing me with joy...O, Lord,my God,I will give thanks forever. A prayer journal can be a great help in this. Record what you are praying for & later go back & see how the Lord has answered. Sometimes we can see a quick answer, but sometimes we see the result weeks, months or years later.

You may have heard me talk about one of my sons who spent some years in alcoholism, addiction, atheism & agnosticism. We prayed in desperation for a long time asking for the Lord to bring him out of all that & restore his life. We waited a long time, but the Lord restored him more than we could imagine.

Look back. Does being thankful in the morning change your outlook on the whole day & arm you for the challenges you face?

Be Thankful for Trials, Challenges & Adversity
James 1:2-5 says "to consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds". The testing of your faith can lead to perseverance, It can lead to growth & maturity so that you are lacking nothing. Adversity can draw us closer to God as we seek His help with things that are bigger than ourselves. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden, says that the true competitor seeks the great challenge & the worthy opponent because the challenge can bring out our best. He calls that competitive greatness.

Be Thankful & Encourage Others
Remind yourself in the morning & throughout the day to look for people who help you in some way & thank them. In basketball we taught our players to Point & Say Thanks when someone gives you a good pass that allows you to score. Acknowledge help & share the glory. There are three ways to say thanks: 1. Say it, 2. Write a Note of thanks & 3. Live a thank you by living by the principles that someone taught you. 

This is an important thing in Servant Leadership. Catch someone doing something good & encourage & thank them. It is "more blessed to give than to receive."

Be Thankful that You Can Know God
Through Jesus we can come to our Father & say "Abba". It is almost like calling Him "Papa" or "Daddy". When we persistently seek him with all of our heart, we will find him. In Jesus' prayer to the Father in  John 17:3 He says, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." We can experience this quality of eternal life now in knowing the Father & Jesus Christ, His Son. We can experience the quality of eternal life now.

Be Thankful for Our Living Hope & Victory in Jesus
I Peter 1:3-5 tells us that God has given us "a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or face -- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
I Corinthians 15:57 tells us that we can participate in the greatest victory celebration ever. "But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." The victory is over sin & death.

May Greatest Hope for You in This
My greatest hope for you in this is that you will try it for a week. Start the morning with Bible study, prayer & thanksgiving. Arm yourself for the challenges of the day. Start a gratitude list, add to it & pray it to the Lord. Look for answered prayers & give thanks. Look for opportunities to encourage others & say thanks. Remind yourself during the day. Remember to thank the Lord for His presence in your life & that you can know Him. Thank the Father for the gift of Jesus, His Son, & the Holy Spirit who dwells within you.

Try these ideas for a week & notice any differences in your life. Are you more positive & less anxious? Do you feel better as you encourage others? Is it worth continuing?
May you grow in your knowledge, love & service to the Lord & others.