It’s not easy to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving because our needs and wants are so great. The Gospel hymn instructs you to “Count your blessings; name them one by one. Count your many blessings; see what God has done.” The hymn writer knew we tend to forget to be thankful. Possessions without gratitude never bring contentment.
So what is it that blocks the willingness to be thankful? Solomon eventually realized that wealth did not produce happiness, but was vain, hollow and worthless. Ecclesiastes 2:1 expresses the desperation he felt. “Indulging in pleasure did not satisfy the emptiness of my soul.”
Rediscovering gratitude is the pathway to joy and contentment, but it requires focusing on things which God has provided that are priceless – things like the ability to love and be loved by a spouse, parents, children, or friends. But most of all, to be loved by God and to love him supersede all other things. So earnestly practice giving thanks to the Lord in all things.
This is the kind of love we are talking about – not that
we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a
sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship
with God.
~1 John 4:10 The Message
Let [us] give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all humanity.
~Psalm 107:8 Christian Standard Bible
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