Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — 4.1MB)
Creating a gratitude muscle is an area that all of us can grow in, and it will bless you as you develop that gratitude muscle more and more. The secular world has discovered that grateful people experience more joy in life and are more fun to be around. But here’s the thing: becoming grateful is not easy because it isn’t natural. We must cultivate this gratitude muscle.
You know, just saying the words “thank you” does not make you a grateful person. It may just be a polite phrase you’ve learned to say, and you can say it automatically without much thought. In fact, the world’s definition of thankfulness is feeling pleased or being conscious of a benefit you’ve received. In other words, it could be all about you.
In order to develop a Christ-honoring gratitude muscle, you must express your gratitude to God for who he is, and then when you’re truly focused on how blessed you are to know God, that thankfulness should overflow from you to everyone around you. Then you’ll be blessing others as you have been blessed.
So, biblical gratitude is acknowledging the giver even more than the gift. Gratitude is developed and strengthened through praise, through knowing God better and better, through many different ways. We read in Colossians 3:16:
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.
Let—or allow—the message of Christ dwell among you richly. That takes effort; that takes planning; that takes time. This is what strengthens our gratitude muscle; we do it through fellowship with others, we encourage each other, we sing praise—and all of it done with gratitude in our hearts. Is that how you worship God—always mindful of how blessed you are because of Jesus?
Here’s my challenge to help you increase your gratitude muscle: Find a fellow believer and thank God together, or sing a song together, or in some way encourage each other to be thankful. Do it on the phone, on zoom, on Facebook – whatever is available, but give thanks to God today with at least one other person.