I’ve been thinking a lot today about that word for some reason. In my quite time this morning I read this verse..
…comfort those who are frightened, take tender care of those who are weak, and be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else. Always be joyful. Always keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:14-16).
Thankfulness . . .
- Refocuses my PERSPECTIVE
Accept my grateful thanks and teach me your desires (Psalm 119:108).
- Refreshes my HEART
Come before him [God] with thankful hearts . . . don’t harden your hearts as Israel did in the wilderness . . . (Psalm 95:2,8).
- Remind me of God’s GOODNESS
Oh, how grateful and thankful I am to the Lord because he is so good (Psalm 7:17).
Action-plan for thankfulness…
1. Make thankfulness an ATTITUDE
It is good to say thank you to the Lord . . . every morning tell him, “Thank you for your kindness,” and every evening rejoice in all his faithfulness (Psalm 92:1-2).
2. Make an INVENTORY of why you’re thankful
And those who have reason to be thankful should continually be singing praises to the Lord (James 5:13).
3. Make God the SOURCE of your thankfulness
Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts and with holy fear and awe (Hebrews 12:28).
A blog that I try to check out every day is by Pastor Mark Driscoll of “Mars Hill Church” in Seattle. www.theresurgence.com: On his blog today was this post…
4 Ways to Communicate Gratitude…
Obviously there’s more to expressing gratitude than a quick thanks. People have a sincerity meter that registers empty thanks a mile away. Here are four things to keep in mind when communicating the appreciation you really feel.
Be specific. When you say thank you, include details. There is a huge difference between saying thanks and saying thanks followed by a detailed description of what you caught, saw, or are aware the other person was doing.
Be public. Over the years we have learned the value of storytelling—the value of spending a few minutes in front of your leaders telling success stories that communicate vision, but more importantly, express gratitude. Public gratitude expresses a high level of value and can result in an even higher level of loyalty.
Be aware. You have to develop a mindset that looks for accomplishments to celebrate. Listen for stories two or three levels away in your organization and call or write to say thank you. Even though you didn’t observe the act, you communicate, “I didn’t see it, but somebody else saw it and they are talking about it. What you did is significant.”
Be honest. Don’t say you liked something you didn’t. Remember, what gets rewarded gets repeated. Also, don’t attribute something to someone that she didn’t really do. Rather than being encouraging and motivating, you’re communicating that you really weren’t paying attention. So when you say thank you, be honest and don’t overdo it.
My challenge to you today. Is on purpose find things to be thankful for. Life might be really good for you right now and you can find a bunch of stuff that your thankful for, and on the other side of the coin life might suck right now…even in those times we still have so much to be grateful for. I grantee you that when you on purpose look for things to be thankful for, your day and life will be so much sweeter!
God bless you today my friend.
Bald and Blessed
JC