What the Bible Teaches about True Gratitude - The Crosswalk Devotional - November 20

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What the Bible Teaches about True Gratitude
By Lynette Kittle

Bible Reading:
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:13

In looking to learn about gratitude, the Bible is our teacher, with God being the author and creator of gratitude.

It isn’t a human invention but a God-given response that rises up within us because He created us to express gratitude to Him. In learning to thank Him, it’s where thankfulness spills over to expressing gratitude to those we love and even strangers we interact with on a daily basis.

Gratitude isn’t by any means a product of human nature or our fallen world, but rather a divine gift from God above who stirs it up deep within our hearts.

Throughout the Bible, God encourages us to give thanks and to show true gratitude. The following are ten true characteristics the Bible teaches about true gratitude.

1. True biblical gratitude comes from the heart. If anyone knew how to express gratitude to God, it’s David. Whether shepherd boy or king, his heart seemed to overflow with it.

David teaches us that gratitude is a heart issue, writing in Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

2. True biblical gratitude is for all circumstances. Gratitude has no boundaries, meaning it isn’t reserved for happy times only, which the Apostle Paul knew all too well, experiencing many circumstances in his life, difficult ones. So, if anyone knew how to give thanks in all circumstances, it was him.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, he shares his wisdom, writing, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

3. True biblical gratitude is for everything. Whether good, bad, or ugly, the Bible teaches that true gratitude makes no exceptions in life. No matter if life is empty or full, we’re called to give thanks to God, focusing on Him and not what’s going on in our lives.

As Ephesians 5:20 urges, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

4. True biblical gratitude is given to Jesus for all He does for us. For all the benefits and blessings we receive from Christ Jesus, the Bible teaches us to give thanks.

Paul models how in 1 Timothy 1:12, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service.”

5. True biblical gratitude thanks the Father for fellow believers. True gratitude thanks God for our brothers and sisters in Christ, as Colossians 1:3 encourages. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.”

6. True biblical gratitude remembers God’s wonderful deeds. In Psalm 9:1, David points out the importance of remembering and telling others every wonderful deed God has performed.

7. True biblical gratitude includes thanking God for the grace He gives to others. As 1 Corinthians 1:4 encourages us, “I always thank my God for you because of His grace given to you in Christ Jesus.”

8. True biblical gratitude offers thanks for the faith of others. Paul teaches us how true gratitude thanks God for the faith He gives to those around us, as he wrote in Romans 1:8. “First, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.”

9. True biblical gratitude honors love in others. Paul, again, in Ephesians 1:15-16 explains, “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

10. True biblical gratitude is expressed in remembering others. As Philippians 1:3 reminds us to give thanks in remembering others. “I thank my God every time I remember you.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Our best teacher when it comes to learning about true gratitude is found in the Bible. As the author of gratitude, no one knows or can teach us more about it than God. He is our authority on how, when, where, and why to express it.

Further Reading:
Cultivating Thankfulness Each and Every Day of the Year

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.

Photo Credit: Getty/Oleksandr Yakoniuk 

Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

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Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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What the Bible Teaches about True Gratitude - The Crosswalk Devotional - November 20

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

The Crosswalk Devotional updated banner logo

What the Bible Teaches about True Gratitude
By Lynette Kittle

Bible Reading:
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:13

In looking to learn about gratitude, the Bible is our teacher, with God being the author and creator of gratitude.

It isn’t a human invention but a God-given response that rises up within us because He created us to express gratitude to Him. In learning to thank Him, it’s where thankfulness spills over to expressing gratitude to those we love and even strangers we interact with on a daily basis.

Gratitude isn’t by any means a product of human nature or our fallen world, but rather a divine gift from God above who stirs it up deep within our hearts.

Throughout the Bible, God encourages us to give thanks and to show true gratitude. The following are ten true characteristics the Bible teaches about true gratitude.

1. True biblical gratitude comes from the heart. If anyone knew how to express gratitude to God, it’s David. Whether shepherd boy or king, his heart seemed to overflow with it.

David teaches us that gratitude is a heart issue, writing in Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

2. True biblical gratitude is for all circumstances. Gratitude has no boundaries, meaning it isn’t reserved for happy times only, which the Apostle Paul knew all too well, experiencing many circumstances in his life, difficult ones. So, if anyone knew how to give thanks in all circumstances, it was him.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, he shares his wisdom, writing, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

3. True biblical gratitude is for everything. Whether good, bad, or ugly, the Bible teaches that true gratitude makes no exceptions in life. No matter if life is empty or full, we’re called to give thanks to God, focusing on Him and not what’s going on in our lives.

As Ephesians 5:20 urges, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

4. True biblical gratitude is given to Jesus for all He does for us. For all the benefits and blessings we receive from Christ Jesus, the Bible teaches us to give thanks.

Paul models how in 1 Timothy 1:12, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service.”

5. True biblical gratitude thanks the Father for fellow believers. True gratitude thanks God for our brothers and sisters in Christ, as Colossians 1:3 encourages. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.”

6. True biblical gratitude remembers God’s wonderful deeds. In Psalm 9:1, David points out the importance of remembering and telling others every wonderful deed God has performed.

7. True biblical gratitude includes thanking God for the grace He gives to others. As 1 Corinthians 1:4 encourages us, “I always thank my God for you because of His grace given to you in Christ Jesus.”

8. True biblical gratitude offers thanks for the faith of others. Paul teaches us how true gratitude thanks God for the faith He gives to those around us, as he wrote in Romans 1:8. “First, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.”

9. True biblical gratitude honors love in others. Paul, again, in Ephesians 1:15-16 explains, “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

10. True biblical gratitude is expressed in remembering others. As Philippians 1:3 reminds us to give thanks in remembering others. “I thank my God every time I remember you.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Our best teacher when it comes to learning about true gratitude is found in the Bible. As the author of gratitude, no one knows or can teach us more about it than God. He is our authority on how, when, where, and why to express it.

Further Reading:
Cultivating Thankfulness Each and Every Day of the Year

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.

Photo Credit: Getty/Oleksandr Yakoniuk 

Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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