This time of year we always center on gratitude and giving of thanks. I love that our society still acknowledges this as a holiday and we look back (although maybe not in as much detail as our society could use to) at a time when our nation was beginning in humble poverty and dependence on God. But, honestly this subject has grasped my attention much in the last few months as I have been reading and studying my Bible. 

How many times have you reminded your children to say “thank you” all the while thinking that it didn’t seem to have any effect on how they really were thankful for what they were “expressing” gratitude for? 

How many times have you said thank you for something yet realized later that you didn’t even realize you said it? It was just something you did out of habit. Or, if you are like me, you have a panic moment in the middle of the night because you remembered something someone did for you or gave to you, but can’t remember if you actually sent them a thank you note. When my husband and I got married (13 years ago), we spent the first 5 months of marriage remodeling our house. My husband began 2 months before we married, thinking it was going to be mostly cosmetic and have it done it before our wedding. Well, as most fixer-uppers go, it wound up being 90% gutted and remodeled. So, after our honeymoon, we spent every evening possible working at our new house. We were elated when the day came we could finally move in! Imagine my chagrin when, upon unpacking, I found about 30 thank you cards from my bridal shower (held the week before my wedding) that I had so meticulously written and even addressed…then, put very neatly in a box. I kept trying to figure out how proper it would be to write an apology note with my 6 month old thank you notes.

How many times have you had someone else tell you “thank you” for something while in the back of your mind you were wondering if they really were grateful? Especially, when you see that gift regifted in the next years’ “family Christmas”!

  We live in a world that has SO much at our fingertips, materially and otherwise, that we have forgotten what it feels like to be without. The most grateful person is the one who has done without the most. My husband’s grandma is one of the most thrifty women I know. She invented “repurposed” before it was an art form. Every wrapper, box, foil cover, or any other means of packaging is used many times before it is thrown away…actually, I don’t think she ever throws them away, but rather gives them out to others with her homemade goodies and preserves! But, whenever she is asked about it, she always references the days when there was no money for anything like foil, baggies, and things we take for granted. She was a child during the depression era and learned to appreciate the value of the little things. 

So, should we all just go get rid of everything we have so we can be truly thankful? I don’t think so. I believe that is one reason the Bible commands us to be grateful. Most of us must do it on purpose.

The more I study the Bible, the more I understand that God commands us to do things that are for our good…His “rules” always have an outcome that gives us a life that is better, safer, happier. For example: “Thou shalt not kill.” A command given to us that causes others to be safer, allows us to live a life with no regrets, etc.   The same could be said with alcohol, lying, purity, etc. When obeyed, the natural outcome is a more peaceful, blessed life.

    I believe the product of us obeying the command to give thanks is not just living a life of fulfilling “telling everyone/everything thank you”, but rather CONTENTMENT.

The word “content” means to be held, quiet, not disturbed, having a mind at peace, often implying a moderate degree of happiness (Webster’s 1828 dictionary).

When we are content, we are are not unthankful….I believe it is impossible to be content and not grateful. I do believe one can have some gratitude, yet never reach the point of contentment. The end result of having gratitude that God commands is contentment, which is what He desires for us.

Eph 5:3-4 says, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.” Wow…as an alternative to uncleaness and filthiness God wants His people to be known by and be participants in gratefulness. He never said He wants them to be known for being religious, or learned, or even moral…but grateful! I was humbled at this thought.

Phil 4:6-11  “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 

This little process jumped out at me as I was studying this passage in light of gratefulness and contentment:

Thinking…..

Thanking….

Giving…..

Living Content.

The Bible tells us to “think on these things”. Think on all God has done for you, the people He has placed in your life, the ways you have grown closer to Him.

Thank Him for those things, thank those who have helped you and loved you and invested in you. 

Then complete the process with giving. I have been amazed while studying gratitude how many times the word “thanks” is proceeded by “give or giving”. God wants action to our gratitude. Give out of what has been given to you. That might include monetary value, but more often it will not. If God has blessed you with someone who has invested time in you, invest time into someone else. If God has blessed you with someone who has loved you through a trial, love someone through a trial, etc. If God has blessed you with someone who has brought joy to your life, bring joy to someone else’s life.

You will never be content until you are giving. Giving of whatever God has given you to give. Serving, loving, bringing joy to another, helping someone else….those are all ways that begin the process of bringing contentment into our lives.

Living Content is a process that is never finished, but our contentment will leave before our “thankfulness” goes. When I begin to feel the feelings of discontentment creep up in my heart, I must run back to thinking on “these things”, reminding myself of what I have that I should be thankful for and what has been given to me. Then when I go find someone to “give thanks” to, I will find a content heart on it’s way back to me!