Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Av Kirk Barger

With Christmas just around the corner, gifts are being purchased by the
armfulls. Parents are trying to find that "desperately needed" toy that
their son or daughter "can't live without." Husbands are searching
frantically for just the right gift for their darling wives. Wives go
hunting for the perfect tool for their "Mr.fix-it". Jewelry, toys,
games, clothes, coats, skis, DVD's, IPOD's, laptops---WHERE DOES IT END?
Take a moment, now, and look back over the years and all those special
gifts we couldn't live without. Where are they? How important are they
now?

Being an American, I just recently celebrated Thanksgiving. This is always a special time of the year for our family. Yet, Thanksgiving has almost lost its importance due to the overshadowing Christmas "hype." I am so thankful for the time we spent as a family after our Thanksgiving meal writing down things we were thankful for and then taking turns reading them aloud for all to reflect on. With or without Thanksgiving, though, Christians around the world have unfortunately begun to lose the attitude of gratitude.

Remember what Paul said in Philippians 4:11? He said, ".I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." Contentment. How's that for an attitude of gratitude? Paul explains in that same passage that he understands what it means to have little or to have a lot. Sitting in a Roman jail, Paul writes to the Philippian believers and exhorts them to rejoice! In another one of his epistles, he writes, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1
Thess. 5:18). Now that's the type of attitude we need daily, especially when the cares of the world come crashing in on us. Forget that Christmas list of DVD's, laptops, games, jewelry, etc. and focus on the most important aspect of developing an attitude of gratitude-learning not only to accept what we have or the situations we are in but also doing it with an attitude of thankfulness to God. That is the secret to true contentment. That is the true attitude of gratitude.

The problem is that it does not come easy. It goes against the very fiber of our being. Our desire is to want what we want-which is usually just a little bit more. Our flesh cries out for all the "stuff" around us. The advertisements try to coax us. The TV tries to seduce us. The world tries to convince us that we need what it has to offer. But God's Word says that Jesus is all we need, and with Him comes the contentment that only He can provide. Paul states this best when he says, "what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for.the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord.."

Jesus keyed in on this very same idea in His Sermon on the Mount. He told us not to worry about clothes or food. He explained that our Father in heaven knows all about our needs and will take care of them. He then encourages us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Again, it is living with an attitude of gratitude that comes only when we are totally focused on God and His promises.

So, rather than spending an inordinate amount of time searching for the right gift during the Christmas season, stop, reflect, and give thanks to God for what you do have and for what He has done for you in giving His Son. That will truly instill in you an attitude of gratitude.