It is very hard to give thanks. No, it is very hard to REALLY be grateful. Thanksgiving is a matter of heart, a state of being appreciative, content, and joyful. When we say thank you it does not necessarily be an indicator that we truly appreciate what others have done to us.
I always enjoy birthday, not for the fact that I am getting older, but I love it that once a year people celebrate me and shower me with care and gifts. Let me tell you my dirty little secret here. Deep down inside my heart I really wish people have supernatural ability to read my mind of what present that I really want this year. Else I would love to have the ability to visit people in their dreams and tell them what I want for my birthday. Are you familiar with the situation when people buy you a present that it is so not you? At that time we might say thank you but inside we say why (did you buy this pink tights for my birthday). That could not be a right attitude and we are all guilty of that at some point of our lives.
Being thankful is not easy because we have our expectations involved. When our expectations are not met we refuse to appreciate. The second reason why it is not easy to be thankful is because we feel we are entitled to what we get or have. We don't see it as something special since we are so used to receive it and thus we tend to forget to give thanks for it (think about us still breathing, being healthy, could eat 3 times a day, have house to go back to, not going out naked, etc.). Another source of entitlement is when we think we deserved what we have because we work hard for it thus there is no point of giving thanks to God. Last possible reason for not being grateful is our greediness. As we always want more of this and that, we tend to focus on what we don't have rather on what we already have. This is made worse when comparison to others come to play. It will become a race that nobody will win since there is no limit where enough is really enough.
Today I am constantly reminding myself to give thanks to God for what I have and what I don't have. These are 2 different levels of gratitude that I am trying to learn. Being grateful for what we have is basic. Nothing special but we tend to forget about it. Honestly speaking we should not pat ourselves on the back for saying thank you to God for what we have and what He has given us. As matter of fact if we don't do it we are actually being rude and ungrateful to Him. Doing this very basic thing actually will release us from our pride by acknowledging that every good thing comes from the Father. A lot of times in the Bible when someone acknowledged God miracles happened, breakthrough broke forth, multiplication happened, and lives satisfied.
Second level of gratitude is when we could give thanks for what we don't have. This is talking about the place of needs. By doing so we are actually releasing our rights to deal with the situation and let God take over. We are surrendering our life under His authority and we let Him play out the situation His way, His rules, with His power, and at His playing field. By giving thanks we are acknowledging that He is Lord of our lives. The One with every good intention for our lives is in control. Such a relief!! Such a freedom knowing He, who didn't let 5000 people dying of hunger, is providing for your life. Great joy that He, who healed so many sick people, is the Healer in charge for your loved ones who are sick. We could rest realizing that He, who died on the cross because of our weaknesses, is empowering us to be a better person.
There is power in thanksgiving. Release it. Build your faith by giving thanks for what He has done in the past and let that faith fly through gratitude for what He is going to do next.
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