Pastor Richard Waialeale
December 1, 2013 - W1348

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing?  It makes you wonder what would happen if we gave thanks for everything we had and not worry so much about what we don't have.  Today I want to talk to you about living a life of gratitude.  We can be Moving from a Day of Thanksgiving To a Life of Thanksgiving.

The Bible says, “Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done.”

(Colossians 2:7)

I am absolutely convinced that if we put this sentence, if we put this scripture into our lives, into our hearts, it will change our lives.  It will impact your life.  Anyone can live a life overflowing with gratitude no matter what the circumstances might be by following these three principles that we're going to go through tonight from the Bible.  Why is that important?  Because the Bible tells us that when it comes to gratitude, it is God's perfect will for you. 

The Bible also says, “…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in

Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Give thanks in all circumstances, the Bible says.  It doesn't say give thanks for all circumstances.  There's a difference here.  You don't have to give thanks for the bad in your life.  You don't have to be thankful for all the evil that's happening in the world.

Most of the things that happen in this world are not God’s will. That's why we are to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” because in heaven God's will is always done.  On earth God's will is hardly ever done. 

Why can I thank God in every circumstance?  Well, there are a number of reasons why.  I know that God is in control.  I also know that God can bring good out of evil.  I know that even the mistakes I make, God can turn it around.  And I know that I'm not going to live on this earth forever, and then one day I'm going to be in heaven through all of eternity.  And I can't lose my salvation.  And I know that no matter what happens, God will always love me.  He will always love you.

We're not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying.  We're in the land of the dying trying to get to the land of the living.

I'm not surprised that people are grateful when things go right, but I am surprised and a bit envious when things go wrong and people respond with a grateful heart.  That's how I want to be.  The Bible says always be thankful.  This is God's will.

Everyone desires to be in the perfect will of God; yeah?  See, today's perfect will might not look like what you think it should.  God's will for you is to become everything He dreamed for you to be so that you can glorify Him.  God's will doesn't have to be perfect to you in order to be perfect for you.  God's will doesn't have to be perfect to me in order to be perfect for me. 

God's will for Jesus didn't seem perfect to His disciples, but it was perfect for Him.  He defeated and humiliated sin on the cross, and then He conquered death in the resurrection, thereby providing salvation for the whole world.

God's will might not seem perfect to me or perfect to you, but trust me, His will is perfect for you.  This might not make it easy, but it does make it meaningful, purposeful, and worth it.  It makes it perfect for you.

There will be some pain and suffering at times.  But anyone, anyone can live a life overflowing with gratitude, no matter what the circumstances, by following three principles taken from the Bible.

I want to give you three action steps, three principles that will change your life. 

1. MAKE THANKFULNESS AN ATTITUDE.

We all experience changing circumstances from time to time, and sometimes it leads to pain and suffering.  Now, some of your pain may never go away, but your attitude can change.  Thankfulness is an attitude.

Listen to what it says in Psalm 92 verses 1 and 2 from the new living translation.  It says this:  It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the most high.  It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening.

Gratitude is nothing less than the key to happiness.  All happy people are grateful, and it's truer to say that it is complaining that leads people to becoming unhappy.  Becoming grateful will make you much more happier.

Probably the reason why the Psalmist wrote that it is good to give thanks to the Lord is because we need it, not the Lord.  We need to be happy.  We need thankfulness.  Learning to be thankful whether to God or to people is the best medicine.  It is the best vaccination against taking good fortune for granted.

A thankful attitude rises above any circumstances, and even in your circumstance ?? even if your circumstances doesn't change, our perspective and our attitude can change.

The apostle Paul said it the best.  In 2 Timothy he says this, “So do not be ashamed to testify about the Lord or ashamed of me, his prisoner, but join with me in the suffering for the gospel by the power of God.”

What Paul was saying was most people say it like this.  They look at Jesus through their own suffering.  But he said in fact we should turn it around.  Through your suffering put the gospel in front.  Look at the gospel, then at your suffering, not your suffering and then the gospel is out here.  So if I'm going through some trouble or I'm going through something in life and it's right in front of me, where's Jesus?  He's around me, but he's not in front of me.  He's not the center of my life.  He's around me somewhere.  Turn it around.  Paul is saying suffering for the gospel is like this.  Put Jesus in the front.  Now where's your suffering?  Now where's your trouble?  It's around me somewhere, but who's in front of me?  Jesus is in front of me.  And that is to be thankful, to change the way you see things and change the way you think.

I look at the suffering through the gospel, and when I do, I see a purpose to which God has called me to, the will of God.

2. TAKE STOCK OF WHY YOU’RE THANKFUL.

When I say take stock, I talking about investing.  Invest in or make a list.  Take inventory.  Own up to it.

Paul says “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue

with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that

through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will

overflow on account of me.” (Philippians 1:25-26 NIV)

Take stock of why you're thankful.  Make a list.  In fact, there's this thing called Thank Therapy.  When you make a list of all of the things that you're thankful for, it changes your perspective.  It moves you from grumbling and complaining where God doesn't want you to be to being thankful and grateful where it is God's will.  Make that list, own up to it, do it daily.

It takes three weeks to start a habit, and then it takes another three weeks to solidify it.  Being thankful for six weeks, Thank Therapy will become a habit. 

Once a week write down five things in which you are grateful for.  Simple.  Thank therapy; write down five things once a week that you are grateful for. 

Make a list once a week, list five things that you are thankful for.  It's been proven that it will change your attitude which leads to gratefulness which leads to happiness.  After the sixth week, you'll be far happier than when you first started.

Make a list, express your thankfulness.  Let people know.  Take ownership of that list because when you do, it will radically impact your life. 

One of the biggest miracles that we read in the Bible is Jesus feeding the 5,000.  Only a young boy, a kid brought five loaves of bread and two fish.  What did Jesus do?  He takes what the little boy has, lifts it up to heaven, and He gives thanks.  He divides it, and it supplied all the needs for all 5,000 people.

When God blesses someone, He does it by taking what they naturally have, and He multiplies it to make it sufficient for all of their needs.  That's God's blessing.  God blesses someone by taking what he can be, what you naturally have, and he multiplies it and makes it sufficient to meet all of your needs.  That's how God blesses.

3. MAKE GOD THE SOURCE OF YOUR THANKFULNESS.

The Bible says, “We should be grateful that we were given a kingdom that

cannot be shaken. And in this kingdom we please God by

worshiping Him and by showing Him great honor and respect.”

(Hebrews 12:28 CEV)

We should be grateful that we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and in this kingdom, we please God by worshiping him and by showing him great honor and respect. 

The bottom line is this.  When it all comes crumbling down, Jesus is the only one that's left standing.  When we feel unsure about the future, we can take confidence that our future is built on solid foundation.

My wife Mary and I, last week went to a memorial service of a dear, dear friend. There was a huge difference between the way Christians and nonbelievers dealt with her death.  The Christians felt at peace that she was alive in Heaven.  The nonbelievers struggled with her death as the end of life.

A while back, a homeless man came to church and wanted to talk to me. When he was about 20 feet away I was taken aback that I could actually smell him! At that point, I did not want to minister to him. I was about to give him money when he said that all he wanted was Jesus. I felt ashamed and prayed to God for forgiveness. Suddenly and miraculously I could not smell him anymore. We talked about Jesus and he was saved.

That's my challenge to every single one of you, that God would put somebody in front of you, and if you keep having that thankful attitude, taking stock of why you're thankful and making God the source of your thankfulness, you'll avoid having this kind of bad attitude.  I'm so appreciative that I get to come here and share with you about thanksgiving, making Thanksgiving not something we celebrate once a year, but making thanksgiving a part of our life, characterized by being grateful. 

Every morning get up ?? every morning you get up, just pray to the Lord, Lord, thank you for giving me so much.  I pray that you give me yet one more thing, and that's a grateful heart.  Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all that he has done.  It might not seem perfect to you, but trust me, it's worth it.  It will be perfect for you.  Amen?  Amen.  Thank you so much. 

Study Suggestions

1.   Why should thankfulness be an attitude?

2.   How can we be thankful in all circumstance when there is so much evil in the world?

3.   What should you do every day in regards to thankfulness?

4.   Who is the source of your thankfulness and why?