Maintaining a Thankful Heart!
Sir John Templeton, the billionaire investor, was once asked what is the secret of wealth? He said, "Gratitude. If you're not grateful, you're not rich—no matter how much you have." The flip side of that is, "If you're grateful, you are rich—no matter how little you have."
You see, we have a tendency to rate our lives on a scale of comparison with others—and we compare ourselves with those whose lives appear to be richer, fuller, and more exciting than ours. Many times we feel short changed—we wonder why others have it so much better than we do. Of course, that's distorted thinking. But I want you to realize that having a thankful heart is not about comparing yourself to others, it's about recognizing and acknowledging what God has done in your life.
Today we're going to take a look at a psalm of thanksgiving: Psalm 16. In these few verses David reminds us of some things we can all be thankful for; if we concentrate on them, they'll help us develop and maintain a thankful heart.
1. Acknowledge that God is the source of all the good things in your life
David said...
(v. 2) I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
The book of James says...Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights...(James 1:17)
All of the good things you have in your life, you can thank God for. Not just the "spiritual" blessings, but the material blessings, the sociological blessings, the relational blessings—every good thing in your life is a gift from God.
2. Recognize the "pleasant places" in your life
David said...
(v. 5-6) Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.
You see, you can look at all the things you don't have, and all the disadvantages that have been thrust upon you, but that kind of thinking leads only to misery. Instead, look at the areas of your life where the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places, and be thankful that God has given them to you. Acknowledge all the good gifts God has given you; recognize the pleasant places in your life; and thirdly, to develop and maintain a thankful heart...
3. Look ahead to better days
David said...
(v. 6) Surely I have a delightful inheritance.
In the Psalms, whenever David speaks of the future, he always speaks of it with optimism.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6)
God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide to the end. (Psalm 48:14)
The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. (Psalm 85:12)
David is saying, "The best is yet to come." When you live with a thankful heart, it's easy to believe this. When your mindset is "I have so little and every one else has so much," it's difficult to be optimistic about the future. But when you recognize that God has already blessed you so much more than you deserve, it is easy to believe that even better days lie ahead.
I've noticed this: People who don't look forward to the future don't enjoy the present either. Neither do they appreciate the past. Having a thankful heart changes that. Having a thankful heart enables you to recognize God's presence in your life—past, present, and future.
You see, we have a tendency to rate our lives on a scale of comparison with others—and we compare ourselves with those whose lives appear to be richer, fuller, and more exciting than ours. Many times we feel short changed—we wonder why others have it so much better than we do. Of course, that's distorted thinking. But I want you to realize that having a thankful heart is not about comparing yourself to others, it's about recognizing and acknowledging what God has done in your life.
Today we're going to take a look at a psalm of thanksgiving: Psalm 16. In these few verses David reminds us of some things we can all be thankful for; if we concentrate on them, they'll help us develop and maintain a thankful heart.
1. Acknowledge that God is the source of all the good things in your life
David said...
(v. 2) I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
The book of James says...Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights...(James 1:17)
All of the good things you have in your life, you can thank God for. Not just the "spiritual" blessings, but the material blessings, the sociological blessings, the relational blessings—every good thing in your life is a gift from God.
2. Recognize the "pleasant places" in your life
David said...
(v. 5-6) Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.
You see, you can look at all the things you don't have, and all the disadvantages that have been thrust upon you, but that kind of thinking leads only to misery. Instead, look at the areas of your life where the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places, and be thankful that God has given them to you. Acknowledge all the good gifts God has given you; recognize the pleasant places in your life; and thirdly, to develop and maintain a thankful heart...
3. Look ahead to better days
David said...
(v. 6) Surely I have a delightful inheritance.
In the Psalms, whenever David speaks of the future, he always speaks of it with optimism.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6)
God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide to the end. (Psalm 48:14)
The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. (Psalm 85:12)
David is saying, "The best is yet to come." When you live with a thankful heart, it's easy to believe this. When your mindset is "I have so little and every one else has so much," it's difficult to be optimistic about the future. But when you recognize that God has already blessed you so much more than you deserve, it is easy to believe that even better days lie ahead.
I've noticed this: People who don't look forward to the future don't enjoy the present either. Neither do they appreciate the past. Having a thankful heart changes that. Having a thankful heart enables you to recognize God's presence in your life—past, present, and future.
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