Thankfulness

I want to share about a personal revelation today – a revelation that is nothing new under the sun, but a revelation that can not be talked about too much!

And that is “the attitude of thankfulness”

What is thankfulness? / What does the Bible say about it?

You know – the Bible talks a lot, a lot, a lot about this. How to Give to give thanks to the Lord always. How to give thanks to the Lord whatever the circumstances.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 The Message (MSG)

16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

In the New Testament, believers are instructed to be thankful in all circumstances. When we’re struggling with trials and difficulties, this sounds like a strange command, especially since we live in a culture that encourages us to act on the basis of how we feel.

But even if it sounds like a strange command – THERE sure IS so much power in the Word of God. Especially when we start to walk the walk it encourages us to walk.

God knows that when we focus on our blessings, it’s easier to keep our problems and concerns in the right perspective!!

Ask yourself: How often do I express gratitude to God or to other people? Or just for your life in general?

WELL – It is pretty easy to be thankful – when things go the way we want. Isn’t it. It is not as easy, when it feels like LIFE basically sucks. Ever felt like that?

What does it look like when we are not thankful?

Well…. I learned a few years back, during my “year of crises” – that there certainly are many different ways this look like!

How easy it was to come into a:

1. “blame – someone mode”
   Whose fault is it that it is like this right now….) or
2. “questioning – mode”
   Why, God why… how can you  be good and allow these things….) or the:
3. “worrying mode”
   I don’t think this ever gonna change, or what if everything gets worse… what if I never get well, what if we never can sell this moldy freaking house, what if we go bankrupt for all the years to come…..). or the
4. “Victim- mode”
   It is soo bad with me, no one likes me, I am such a loser. Everything goes against me – Buhuuuu – mode.
5. “Comparing mode”
   Why is everybody else’s lives so easy – or why is mine like this, so anti-instagram-beautiful? Why are everybody else building houses and seeing their housing dreams fulfilled? While are everyone else travelling the world and I am sitting here in the sandpit.
6. “Unsatisfied mode”
   What I have doesn’t make me happy…I want this and I want that… then I might get happy!

Sometimes we – human beings – believe, that if we reach this and that goal – the real happiness will come – the new house, the new car, the Big Love, the children, the new job, a good carrier, new friends, new cloths, health, more muscles. Anything really. But no – happiness is never in any earthly things that are to come. Never.  

You know what – it doesn’t matter if you meet people that are the most successful people with everything or anything they actually ever wanted – or maybe people that have lost everything, or even lost people sitting in prison.

IT appears that the same absence of unhappiness can be there – or the same present of thankfulness, and a feeling of happiness and fulfilment can be there! Yes!

But hey – you have your OWN race to run! That no one can run for you! Please, don´t look around! Look at what you have! Make a consensus change in your life!!

Are you ready to change your mindset together with me? What if we all would start to be thankful for what GOD actually has already given to you!? Start to be thankful for what you already have!

This also what the bible teaches us. And yes, many psychologists after that have been teaching it later too (I love psychology, you know,I’ve studied education and psychology before, and you know, it is so interesting in every way! And what has always encouraged me is that so much goes together, if not everything with what the bible has been talking about since the beginning of time. God has always known how we as his own creation works! We are created in HIS image!

Why is thankfulness important?

There is a tremendous power in thankfulness!! First and foremost, for yourself.

Holding on to feelings of thankfulness:

• boosts our immune system and increases blood supply to our heart.
• Increase our alertness, enthusiasm, and energy, and improve our sleep.
• People who describe themselves as feeling grateful tend to suffer less stress and depression than the rest of the population.

All this by being thankful!!! Crazy!

Of course, it will never be easy to be thankful everyday. And it is ok. We all have mornings when we wake up, and everything is sooo bad. Or at least everything FEELS so bad (or just women with hormones) haha! Then we easily put on that victim-shirt – and continue to think about what we don’t have and want to have.

But here is a rule to follow for you and me. If you don’t get that wictim-shirt off, you need to sit down, and start to write! Write a list – a list of things you actually is thankful for! If you cannot get rid of that shirt – continue to write. You might need to write 3 long pages before you get rid of it! But do it – because that victim-shirt will destroy your day, like nothing else can, and eventually it will make your whole life miserable!

I’ve started to practice THIS THANKFULNESS-THING during a summer holiday a few years back. And you know what – it changed things. It has changed things in my life. Not only in my life, but In our family’s life. In how I look at things around me. And how I see at the things of the LORD too.

How can I consciously become more thankful?

As you know, a good thought doesn’t help anyone, really much. Usually we need to come into a new habit of something, to actually see a remarkable change.

And this is where the “Thankfulness-journal” comes in.

Now I end everyday with writing in my “thankful-journal” – it has been a boost into my life, and also a boost to get good routines with focusing right! I must admit I forget it many times, but then then again, it’s just to continue from where I left.

In this book I write under 3 different headings  – and this is something I would love to encourage all of you to do this spring – or at least if you feel like you have been struggling lately with this.

Point 1: What did I do that was good today?

Point 2: What am I thankful to God for? (write until you don’t find anything more to write about)

Point 3: What do I need help from God with? (anything that worries you, bothers you, or any prayers of salvation, healing, jobs, anything!) Write it down as a prayer, and leave it there with the Lord.

This: “help-part” – to leave everything to GOD, consciously, every night – that might come up in your mind, that makes you worry, compare or feeling like a victim, IS so important – and it takes us into a good habit of praying, and actually leaving things before Jesus at the cross. Give everything you are and have to the Lord everyday – every night – and make it a system that is easy for you to follow and keep up with!

Wow, what a feeling, to everyday fall asleep with a thankful heart. Thankful for everything GOD has given to you! Everything that GOD has provided!

***

Thankfulness is the way to happiness. This is how God has created us to be like. Thankfulness for what you have, is what will give you what you need. Thankfulness can never be bought – and if you buy happiness, you will find it wont last.

So take this with you – and let this spring be filled with so much thankfulness and joy – both in your own lives, and also in our church!! Wow how much good things God has done and is about to do, Keep your eyes above the waves on what really matters!

If we get this attitude right – lots of things will just fall into the right places!

Remember,  you are beautiful – wonderful – and Jesus loves you so much! 

Have a lovely week!