“Actions speak louder than words.” We’re all familiar with this phrase and apply it to various personal and professional areas of our lives. In my own life, I often remind myself of the truth in this phrase as I work on showing my appreciation to others.
Many of us don’t have a hard time thanking God for what he has given us. It’s very easy to thank God when enjoying blessings that you have prayed in faith to receive. We eagerly share our testimony with others about how good God has been to us.
However, God wants more from us than just words of thankfulness. I believe that God wants us to develop a lifestyle of thanksgiving. Like worship, being thankful to God should be a daily part of our lives. Thankfulness is not only about what you receive but the attitude in which you receive it: the attitude of gratitude is what some call it. Just like having a bad attitude changes your perception, so does having an attitude of thankfulness. And that attitude comes from making thankfulness a part of your life…not just an afterthought to a conversation.
For example, I try to make it a point to thank people who do things for me. The challenge always comes in how to thank them. One friend is satisfied with a note of thanks, whereas another wants a monetary show of appreciation. Another friend just wants a good, home-cooked meal every now and then. I know how important it is to say thank you to each one of them for the big and small favors that they do for me, however, when I show them with my actions, it means so much more.
The way we show God our thankfulness is to live according to his word, love with the unconditional grace that he showers us with, and outwardly show our appreciation. We show thanks to God when we share with others. We show thanks to God for his transforming power when we turn away from sin and embrace holiness. It’s not always easy but we should strive to give our time, talent, and treasure to others without expecting anything in return.
Psalm 28:7 reminds us, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”
Does your lifestyle of thankfulness to God depend on whether and how he is blessing you? The obvious answer is no…. we should be thankful to God for who he is and not for what he does. When we remind ourselves of that every day, it becomes easier to be thankful. The more we thank (and think of) God, the more thankful we become. Like the lifestyle of worship, the lifestyle of thankfulness requires that we completely give our hearts to him.
Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth, Texas-based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @shewanda.