This is such a vital message. It is a crucial element of every Christian life! How do we open the door of blessing with giving thanks?
I’ve written in past posts, that there are many of us that are being tempted to dilute our lives with anger and hatred. Voices are beckoning us away from our Shepherd to gain our attention and focus on circumstance and situation. Whether it’s politics, fear tactics, or sometimes both, these voices are screaming, “HEY, look at me!” And it’s one thing to refuse to listen to another’s voice but quite another to combat its distraction with the power of thanks. Today I want to continue writing on the amazing power of giving thanks, we saw in Joseph’s life, which opens our door of blessing.
Power of Giving Thanks
It is impossible to walk in this world and not encounter hurtful and painful circumstances and situations. Christ Himself even experienced troubling difficulties in His life. We all walk on a planet that is less than perfect and being on this globe will cause us pain. But I have a huge revelation about how to break through to make all situations beneficial: THANKS!
Giving thanks for bad and painful circumstances sounds odd. “Why in the world would I be grateful for things that appear to be detrimental or hurtful?” Because every circumstance contains blessing for the child of God. If I give thanks, which honors God, it’s impossible for me to not be blessed by His hands. All the things that He allows will bless me because He is blessing. The key, though, is thanks. Gratitude and giving thanks opens the door to my receiving His blessing in all of my circumstances. Conversely, ingratitude prevents me from receiving the benefits assigned to me from all my situations. Ingratitude shuts the door on God’s gift of blessing.
Scripture says, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The reason God wants us to thank Him for everything is because this is the way to access His abundant Life. The abundant Life is where everything becomes our blessing and we receive this through thanks. God is not sadistic saying, “Thank ME for everything, especially those things that hurt you, muah ha ha ha!” Rather He is saying, “Thank ME for everything because I want everything to bless you.”
The Art of Thanks and Gratitude
There’s an art to being grateful, and the lack of it is the end of life. Romans One tells us there is a downward spiral of degradation for any who fail to be grateful. This entropy leads to every kind of immorality and mental illness, something we’re seeing as prevalent in our society today.
A while back I wrote a series of posts about entitlement. I stated that entitlement is a deadly pandemic. Today I’m seeing the answer to this pervasive disease is gratitude. Gratitude seems to be the antidote for the deadly poison of entitlement.
Honoring God as God and giving thanks seems to be the answer. For what, you might ask? Here is the list found in Romans 1.
List of the Consequences of Ingratitude
Being filled with all unrighteousness, Pride, Greed, Malice, Sexual immorality, Homosexual Acts, Envy, Covetousness, Rivalry, Treachery, Haughtiness, Strife, Deceit, being Evil-minded, Disrespectful of parents, Faithless, Murderous, Spiteful, spreading Gossip, being Insolent/Reviling, Boastful, Senseless, Heartless, Ruthless, Violent, Backbiting, Inventors of evil things, Undiscerning, Untrustworthy, Unloving, Unforgiving, Unmerciful, Haters of God.
WOW, a high a price to pay for the privilege of being able to withhold gratitude. I can’t say I haven’t danced all over this list in the past when I refused to honor our God as God and resisted being grateful. The repercussions of being ungrateful to God are great. While the design of this life is that we would be blessed regardless of the circumstance, thanks is the door to receiving the blessings God wishes to give. Imagine if everything blessed you just because you were willing to thank God, giving Him honor as God.
If you haven’t read the booklet God’s Sovereignty by Martha Kilpatrick, or listened to her CD series The Healing Power of Giving Thanks, I think you would be enriched and encouraged by them. I’ll even offer you 25% off if you don’t have them yet. The power of thanks is so much more than simply mouthing words; it’s the experience of His abundant life and the peace we so long-fully desire. Use Coupon Code: THANKS at checkout at LivingChristianBooks.com to get your discount.
God, in His Love & Integrity is faithful to show us this door. Grace & mercy take our hand & lead us there. The Ro. 1 list finds us out…finds me out. It tells where answering my own desires leads. Entitlement is no blessing, it ravages the heart; including the heart of a nation. In the middle of everything, God is saying, ‘THIS is where I want to Come…because I want everything to bless you.’ How amazing our God is! I want to see Him in everything! Our giving thanks puts our hand to the door, it’s heart active, &… Read more »
Isn’t this being tested daily, Helen? I have to have a Shepherd in these times, and have to remember these words over and over as they are being tested. Love you Helen!
Could the giving of thanks be our response to his patient standing at the door of our heart and knocking(Rev. 3:20), waiting for us to surrender our desires, plans and loves to Him?
Yes DW, Thanks is as easy as a yes. Not complicated, just a choice. Just, Thank You God.
https://getalongwithgod.com/enjoying-him/yes-it-is-as-easy-as-yes/
Oh yes, i echo the thanks, John! The passages (Romans & Thessalonians) and what you have written has proven True, painfully, hideously and then gloriously True in my life. Whenever i withhold my thanks, the consequences come quickly: that described and horrible decline of ‘o woe is me’ in this circumstance then into every circumstance … of delusion, depression, sexual immorality, unforgiveness, bitterness, rejection, hatred, revenge murder in my heart – and absolutely yes, entitlement…i’m miserable, now you owe me and i’m taking what i deserve… Ach! It (Romans 1) was really my old life story …. and i pray… Read more »
This is like a thanks explosion, and I love it. It isn’t too long, it felt like you were just overjoyed and if that is your take away from this message HOORAY! Thank you for your willingness to share. I absolutely love this line: “I really believe He gave it and gives it and gives it again. So all I can ever do is thank Him – even for the thanks.” Again Hooray!
Your exuberance leaps off of the page! How beautiful.
Dear Lt, what you wrote was so rich, wise and exuberant, it gave me much joy. I’ll be reading it again. A Classic about thanksgiving! May you be heard in distant places.
Thank you for such a gift TO US.
Thank you, John, for pressing through. Father uses your posts to teach me and though I don’t always understand or am too focused on self to receive it, many times He brings me back to see with His eyes. With one of your posts, it took a whole week to receive it. He is good!
The CD series is one of Martha’s best. Gave it away shortly after listening; now want to go back and hear again. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement.
Man of God, you bless me — I am grateful for you!
Love
This lesson has taken me a lifetime. It is hard to come by but the rewards are so amazing and the results to not doing it are too costly. Bless you Pauline. Thank you for your encouragement and love! Please send my love to Stephen. Blessings and love to you!
God has been granting me so much peace and gladness in my heart as a result of giving thanks repetitively every day no matter what the current state my life is and continuing to ask God where is the blessing in my life today. The idea of giving thanks and its fruits have never really been clear to me until this last couple weeks and thanks to God for this revelation, for his is the glory and he alone is deserving of it.
Thanks, for the article John
The revelation of thanks, which the Lord has given to you is a gift indeed. It is amazing how He can show us blessing in even the hardships. Just the other day He revealed great blessing in something that has been a lifetime of pain. Only God could do this and I love Him for it! Thank you Payatt for your encouragement! Keep on thanking…