GRATITUDE

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day.

1.    Families will gather together.

2.    A lot of food will be eaten.

3.    There will be rest, movies, ballgames, and a lot of fun.

 

B.   The main purpose of the day, however, is to express gratitude.

1.    One defined gratitude as thankful appreciation for what an individual receives.

2.    Another said that gratitude is the acknowledgement of goodness in one’s life.

 

C.   The title of our lesson is this morning is “Gratitude.”  We want to examine four main points in this study.

 

I.             THE BIBLE AND GRATITUDE

 

A.   The Bible commands thanksgiving.

1.    1 Chronicles 16:34

 

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

 

2.    Psalm 100:4

 

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:  be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

 

3.    In the opening three verses of Psalm 136, we find these words opening each verse.

a.    “O give thanks unto the Lord…” (v. 1).

b.    “O give thanks unto the God of gods…” (v. 2).

c.    “O give thanks unto the Lord of lords…” (v. 3).

 

4.    Colossians 3:17

 

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, to all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

 

5.    1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

In every thing give thanks:  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

 

6.    1 Timothy 2:1

 

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.

 

B.   Many Bible characters were people of deep, sincere gratitude and gave thanks unto their God.

1.    Daniel gave thanks (Dan. 6:10).

2.    Jesus gave thanks (Matt. 15:36; 26:27).

3.    Anna gave thanks (Luke 2:38).

4.    The Samaritan who was healed of leprosy gave thanks (Luke 17:16).

5.    Paul gave thanks (Acts 27:35).

II.           THE CAUSES OF GRATITUDE

 

A.   People (Ex., Paul for the Colossians, Col. 1:3)

 

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

 

B.   Things

1.    Necessities:  food, clothing

2.    Luxuries:  freedom, USA, technology, travel, etc.

 

C.   Experiences (Joseph, Gen. 50:20).

 

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

 

D.   Talents

 

E.   Opportunities (the gospel to the Gentiles, (Acts 14:27)

 

And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

 

F.    Health

 

G.   Struggles:  strength, knowledge, usefulness, maturity (Paul, 2 Cor. 12:9)

 

And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 

H.   Spiritual blessings (1 Cor. 15:57)

 

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

III.         GRATITUDE MANIFESTS CHARACTER

 

A.   A grateful person is a person of understanding.

1.    I have been blessed, both in the small things and in the big things.

2.    My blessings do not all come from self, but from others (God is the giver of all good things, James 1:17).

 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 

B.   A grateful person is a humble person.

1.    A humble person can acknowledge that another person has blessed his/her life in some way. 

2.    The giver of a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing (Acts 20:35).

 

…and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

 

C.   A grateful person is a content person.

1.    He sees what is there instead of what isn’t there.

2.    He looks around, and says:  “Look at all the things I possess.  I am truly grateful for these things.

3.    Paul wrote:  “And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content” (1 Tim. 6:8).  The grateful man understands this verse.  Anything in addition to these things are truly blessings for which to be thankful.

 

IV.         GRATITUDE ENRICHES ONE’S LIFE

 

A.   Gratitude keeps one positive.

1.    The grateful person says:  “Look what I have.  Father, I am thankful.”

2.    Example:  Paul while under house arrest in Rome (Phil. 1:13-14).

 

But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which have happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places.

 

3.    Gratitude makes one understand he is rich.

Complaint causes one to believe he lives a life of poverty.

4.    The grateful person sees the rose bush and is thankful for the blooms.

The complainer sees the rose bush and gripes about the thorns.

 

B.   Gratitude increases one’s joy.

1.    Isn’t joy something that everyone longs to possess?

2.    Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…

 

3.    Yet, many Christians do not seem to possess joy in their lives.

4.    Challenge:  Pick five things that you have that truly enrich your life and for the next two weeks give thanks for them several times in prayer (Ex., my bed and my pillow).  That constant focus will cause you to have joy when you use the object or just see the object.

 

C.   Gratitude keeps us from envying others.

1.    Paul places envy right before murder in Romans 1:29. 

2.    The wise man tells us that envy is “the rottenness of the bones” (Prov. 14:30).

3.    Envy involves our looking at the blessings of others and having feelings inequity and injustice.

a.    Envy says:  “Look what they have, and I don’t.”

b.    Often envy seeks to “right the supposed wrongs.”

c.    Why did the Jews deliver up Jesus to Pilate to be tried?  Pilate knew (Matt. 27:18).

 

For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

 

4.    Gratitude turns our eyes away from others and to self. 

a.    It focuses the heart upon our blessings.

b.    We reason as follows:  “Who cares what others have.  Just look at the things in my life that bless me.” 

c.    NOTE:  This should be especially true of the Christian as he looks upon all the spiritual blessings he possesses in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   What have we seen in this lesson?

1.    Gratitude defined:  The acknowledgement of goodness in one’s life.

2.    Gratitude and the Bible:  “It is good to give thanks unto the Lord…” (Ps. 92:1)

3.    The causes of gratitude:  From people and things in our lives to our spiritual blessings in Christ.

4.    Gratitude and character:  understanding, humility, and contentment.

5.    Gratitude and an enriched life:  positivity, joy, and the removal of envy.

 

B.   Be grateful.

Give thanks.

Practice thanksgiving.

Always be extremely appreciative for all you have.

 

C.   If there is one verse that every Christian needs to have constantly in his mind and on his lips, it is 2 Corinthians 9:15

 

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.