Living Grateful: An Attitude of Gratitude – Part 2
The Christian journey toward restoration and wholeness is anchored in an unwavering attitude of gratitude. This thankfulness, which transcends personal comfort and difficult circumstances, is not merely a practice but a core command from God, designed to ignite faith and usher in new seasons of grace and favor.
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1. The Mandate for Gratitude: Finding God’s Will in All Circumstances
The Holy Spirit personally demanded the speaker, during one of the most difficult times in her life, to identify three things she was grateful for. This demand underscores the spiritual necessity of thankfulness.
God’s Will for Holiness
The Apostle Paul commands believers in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to: “Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances”. This continuous gratitude is explicitly stated as “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
This commitment to constant thanks is directly connected to the prayer that God would “make you holy and whole” and “keep you fit for the coming of our master Jesus Christ”.
- Thanking In vs. For: It is crucial to understand that the command is to give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. No believer should thank God for sickness, loss, or anything the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Instead, they thank God in the sickness that He is the healer, deliverer, and restorer.
2. The Unshakeable Foundation of Christian Identity
True, consistent gratitude flows from a deep conviction regarding one’s identity and value in Jesus Christ.
Believing Your Right Standing
The believer knows that the Church is the most powerful and legally authorized entity on earth to bring forth transformation. The follower of Christ knows they are:
- Fearfully and wonderfully made and the apple of God’s eye.
- A new creation in Christ Jesus.
- The head and not the tail.
- Blessed coming in and going out, whether in the city or the field.
Believers know that the high priest, Jesus Christ, is continually praying over them. God calls them by their name, not their shame, and their past has no relevance on their future except as a point of reflection on how God brought them through.
Authority and Success
Success is determined by the Word of God, which is higher than the name of God, and what the believer does with that Word. By meditating on, speaking, and doing the Word, the believer makes their way successful.
Believers have all power and all authority. If God is for them, no devil, warlock, witch, incantation, spell, hater, or jealousy can take them down or take them out, and when the enemy comes in like a flood, God will raise up a standard against him. The believer already knows that God has hedged them in, given them a shield of protection, and that their footsteps have been ordered by God.
3. Gratitude as Spiritual Warfare: Overcoming Adversity and Despondency
Gratitude is an essential coping mechanism that guards the heart against negativity, fear, and despondency.
The Secret to Stability
Grateful people know how to deal with their problems better, are less negative, and have fewer negative coping strategies. They are less likely to avoid problems or turn to dysfunctional relationships or addictions. They tend to think less negative thoughts when they go to sleep and when they wake up. They approach the day with the outlook that “God’s for me,” and “whatever I’m getting ready to step into he’s already gone there before me”.
The writer of Psalm 9 and 10, despite being oppressed, afflicted, depressed, needy, poor, helpless, and feeling forgotten—a state described as super despondent and “almost suicidal”—declared in the first verse: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart”. This initial act of gratitude was the secret that prevented him from having an “absolute breakdown”.
The Four Pillars of Thanks
When faced with difficulty, the Psalmist provides four specific things for which to thank God, anchoring the believer’s focus:
- For His Love.
- For His Faithfulness.
- For His Word.
- For His Name.
Believers must stop asking the “why question” (e.g., “Why did they get the breakthrough?”) and refuse to complain, choosing instead to thank God with their whole heart, holding nothing back.