In my childhood days, one of the most important pieces of advice my parents gave to me when receiving a gift was, “Don’t forget to say, thank you.” Having an attitude of gratitude was of the highest importance.

Similarly, my wife Sue has told me how her mother impressed upon her to be gracious and thankful to others because, “you can afford to, that is why I named you Susan Grace.”

One of the most prominent qualities of a godly person that can be found in the Bible, is that of thankfulness. So important is this attitude of gratitude, that it is continually mentioned in the Psalms and in Paul’s letters.
To the Corinthians Paul wrote, “But THANKS be to God, He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57
“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause THANKSGIVING to overflow to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:2
To the Ephesians he wrote, “I have not stopped giving THANKS for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16
To the Philippians he wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERY situation by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING present your requests to God,” Philippians 4:6
To the Colossians he wrote, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called into peace. And be THANKFUL. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with GRATITUDE in your hearts. And WHATEVER you do, in word or deed, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving THANKS to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:15-17
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and THANKFUL.” 1 Colossians 4:2
To the Thessalonians he wrote, “Give THANKS in ALL circumstances for this is GOD’S WILL for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
To Timothy he wrote, “I URGE, then, FIRST of all that petitions, prayers, intercession and THANKSGIVING be made for ALL people.” 1 Timothy 2:1

Just like my parents, even more so, it was of the highest importance for Paul to urge people everywhere, “don’t forget to say, THANK YOU.” In fact, Paul said we are to be “overflowing with THANKFULNESS,” Colossians 2:7 in “WHATEVER we do,” Colossians 3:17 for this is “GOD’S WILL.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

And I wonder if this exhortation is even more important in today’s world of abbreviated, impersonal electronic communication.

So perhaps it wasn’t a surprise when I felt a growing prompting of the Holy Spirit in more recent times not to forget to be thankful in my relationship with God and in the world around me. So much so that I was moved to develop a conscious ever-present attitude of gratitude. And from that moment on, I made it a priority to begin my daily devotions by writing at least four expressions of thanksgiving to God for His goodness to me in the previous 24 hours.

So, can I ask you about the place of priority that the attitude of gratitude has in your relationship to God and to others? Why not pause and give yourself a mark out of 10.
And how much attention do you give to prayers of thanksgiving to God in your regular worship services?

A valuable insight I received regarding the quality of thanksgiving came to me when I recently read an article written by John Stonestreet and Hayley Wilson, based on the book, The Hiding Place, the story of Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie. They were arrested by the German Gestapo during World War Two and sent to a concentration camp in North Germany. They were placed in Barracks 28, an overcrowded, damp, decaying room that was infested with fleas.

Corrie wondered how they could survive in such a place. Betsie replied by opening the Bible that she had miraculously been able to carry past the guards and read from 1 Thessalonians 5:18. “Give THANKS in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Then Betsie began to THANK God for the Bible she held in her possession and the crammed room they were in, because it meant that the women could hear the word of God in their darkest hour. But there was one other point of thanksgiving. Betsie continued, “Thank you for the fleas” because it had become known that the cruel guards would not enter the hut because they were scared of fleas.
The following are ten reasons why we should live a life of thanksgiving to God (to mention a few).

We are to be thankful to God because……

• it is God’s will. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
• everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is to be received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4;4
• of His indescribable gift (Jesus Christ) 2 Corinthians 9:15.
  Paul regarded the priority of knowing Jesus Christ so much that he wrote, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” Philippians 3:8
• in Him (Jesus Christ) we have been enriched in every way. 1 Corinthians 1:5
• His love endures forever. Psalm 136
• of the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8
• of the victory He gives through our Lord Jesus Christ (over sin and death).             1 Corinthians 15:57
• we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Hebrews 12:28
• because of our fellow Christians. Philippians 1:3

We are to always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 5:20 for “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast that you did not?” 1 Corinthians 4:7

In his song 10,000 Reasons, songwriter Matt Redman writes of the many reasons he is thankful to God,
“You’re rich in love and you’re slow to anger
Your name is great and your heart is kind
For all your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.”

Of all people, Christians should be the most thankful. Even when he was imprisoned in Rome, Paul could write, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord ALWAYS GIVING THANKS to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:19-20

And I am learning that a life of thanksgiving has so many benefits including the way…….

• it confirms that it really is “more blessed to give than receive.” Acts 20:35
• it helps us to add value to others.
• it helps us to be people who are more willing to serve than be served. Matthew 20:28
• it helps us to live more contented lives.
• it contributes to better health.
• it helps us to be more effective leaders.
• it helps us to be more fruitful in sharing our faith in Jesus with others.
• it deepens our joy of the Lord.
• it enriches our relationship with God.
• it increases our awareness of God’s guidance and goodness in our lives.
• it stirs our motivation in all that we do.

So, if you haven’t discovered the value of living a life of thankfulness, why not start now and develop an attitude of gratitude in your daily walk with God and in your contact with others. Start your daily gratitude diary, include prayers of thanksgiving in your devotions. Add value to people that you meet along the way with words of thanksgiving. Make the attitude of gratitude a lifestyle. Like my parents said, “Don’t forget to be thankful.”

A final story from The Hiding Place that deeply moved me. Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom were subject to strip searches by their guards every Friday. As they were lined up naked in the cold corridor on one occasion, another page from the Bible leapt into life for Corrie. The words, “He hung on the cross” came to her. Corrie leaned toward Betsie, her shoulder blades standing out sharp and thin beneath her blue mottled skin.
As they stood there naked, Corrie said, “Betsie, they took His clothes too.”
Betsie gasped, “Oh Corrie! And I never thanked Him.”

We are to “overflow with thanksgiving” in “whatever we do” for this is “God’s will.”