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article is written by the author itself and not by me, I am not trying to
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PAGE TITLE: CBN Daily Devotional
ARTICLE TITLE: Cultivating a Spirit
of Thankfulness
DATE: 2010
AUTHOR: Dianne Neal Matthews
AUTHOR
INFORMATION:
Dianne Neal Matthews’ publishing credits include magazine articles, newspaper
features, stories in compilation books, several Devotion books including Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily
Meditations on Questions from Scripture. For more information,
please visit www.DianneNealMatthews.com.
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Thanksgiving Day Prayer (PHOTO SOURCE: http://joan4.squidoo.com/thanksgiving-songs)
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“Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17b)
Even though we may stuff ourselves at the
dinner table, celebrating Thanksgiving can actually make us healthier judging
by recent research. Studies have shown that being thankful improves our
physical and emotional health. Holding on to feelings of thankfulness boosts
our immune system and increases blood supply to our heart. Daily guided
exercises or the habit of keeping a weekly gratitude journal can increase our
alertness, enthusiasm, and energy, and improve our sleep. People who describe
themselves as feeling grateful tend to suffer less stress and depression than
the rest of the population.
For all its benefits, gratitude doesn’t come
naturally to us. As Jesus passed through a village one day, he was spotted by
ten lepers who desperately longed to be healed (Luke
17:11-19). They kept themselves at a distance as required by law but cried
out to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Instead of instantly healing the
men, Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priest. As the ten lepers
walked off to obey, their skin disease disappeared.
One of the men turned around, shouting
praises to God as he came back to Jesus. He threw himself at his benefactor’s
feet. Jesus expressed amazement that only one man had thought to thank him.
“Were not all ten cleansed?” he asked. “Where are the other nine?” He also
pointed out that the only man who did respond was a Samaritan, a race despised
by the Jewish people.
For Christians, cultivating a spirit of
thankfulness is more than a good idea; it’s a direct command from God. In the
Old Testament, God laid down specific guidelines for the Israelites to bring
thank offerings. In the New Testament, believers are instructed to be thankful
in all circumstances (1
Thessalonians 5:18). When we’re struggling with trials and difficulties,
this sounds like a strange command, especially since we live in a culture that
encourages us to act on the basis of how we feel. But God knows that when we
focus on our blessings, it’s easier to keep our problems and concerns in the
right perspective.
King David never lost his keen awareness of
all that God had done for the nation of Israel and for him personally. Even
though he experienced disappointment, pain, and heartache, David often poured
out his feelings of thankfulness to his Creator and Lord. That gratitude became
the foundation of his worship of God.
Cultivating a spirit of thankfulness honors
God and strengthens our faith. It also strengthens our relationships with other
people. We can’t be in a right relationship with God or with anyone without a
spirit of thankfulness. No matter what problems we’re struggling with, we don’t
want to be like the nine former lepers who forgot to say “thank you” to their
Healer.
I will give thanks to you with all my heart, O Lord my God. I will honor you forever because your mercy toward me is great. Psalms 86:12-13 (God’s Word translation)
Ask yourself: How often do I express
gratitude to God or to other people?
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