A Habit of Thankfulness

Colossians 3:12-14, “God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you. Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity.”

How are habits formed? Simply by repeating them over and over. You didn't learn to tie your shoes by doing it only once or learn to read and write overnight. They took practice and repeating the steps over and over. Yet, you now tie your shoes without thinking where the bunny goes. What about other habits you may have formed? Your prayer time, your devotions. Do they fit into your routine as easily as your TV time or meal time?

     Things don't ever just happen overnight in our routines or daily lifestyle choices we make. They form over time, good or bad we all have formed habits in our lives. What about your gratitude time with Jesus? Are you thankful during your prayers? Do you praise the Lord when around others for what you've been blessed with or what He's helped you through? Do you just reserve your thanksgivings for this time of year? Today, we're going to look at seven days of thankfulness that we could put into practice as a way of making a grateful habit of thankfulness.

     Day 1- Did you know that in every chapter in the book of Colossians there is at least one reference to thankfulness? Read each verse and jot down what stands out to you.

Colossians 1:3, “In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Colossians 1:12, “And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who has made you able to have a share in all that he has prepared for his people in the kingdom of light.”

Colossians 2:7, “Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15, “Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful.”

Colossians 3:17, “Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.”

Colossians 4:2, “Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God.”

     Day 2- Gratitude is learning to recognize and express appreciation for the benefits God has given. Try adding more gratitude to your life every day. Today take some time to identify blessings in your life. Make a list of not only physical blessings but spiritual blessings God has given you too. Stop and thank God for all of them.

     Day 3- Friends and family are one of God's greatest blessings. They are companionship, support, give us love, bring encouragement and are a great support in our life. Make a list of your family members and closest friends and then, next to each name right one quality about them that you are grateful for. Take time to pray for each member and thank God for putting them in your life.

     Day 4- Now that you have a more grateful heart towards your close friends and family let's add to the list. How about those in your life who have touched you in a special way? Pastors, neighbors, authors, Christian leaders, etc. Ask yourself if you have ever thanked them for how God used them to help you in your life. Take three people from your list to pray for, maybe even call them to express your gratitude.

     Day 5- Paul instructed to give thanks always for all things- Ephesians 5:20. If tomorrow’s supply depended on today's thanksgivings, how much would you have tomorrow? It's easy to be thankful for the big things; Life, sunshine, our health, finances, nature. We tend to forget the small things like our teeth to be able to eat, our sight to see the great things God has made. How about your abilities or the fact you have a pumping heart and working bladder. For electricity to wash clothes and a washer to clean them clean, or friendships when you need them most. How sad we would feel the next day waking up to our comforts of today, gone. Try to consciously thank God for the big and small things as you go about your days.

     Day 6- While focusing on being thankful have you found some people, items, or circumstances for which it's not easy to be thankful. It's easy to say you are thankful in trials and love those who hate you. The reality is that it's harder to put it into action and without God we wouldn't be able to. Today make a list of past or present circumstances, events, trials, or relationships for which you may have never given thanks. Next, acknowledge them before Jesus and give Him thanks even if you may never understand the why. This is your expression of faith that God is our “Blessed Controller” in everything in our life and that we trust His sovereign choices for us.

     Day 7- Today spend some time in God's Word looking up verses of thankfulness and the circumstances around it, be it a story or the people involved or how our character can grow more Christ like by being thankful. Go over your lists once more and pray over the names God brought to your mind while making the lists. Next go to God in a prayer of thankfulness for who He is and what He has done for you.

     Remember habits can only form when you take the time to repeat and repeat again having a heart of gratitude is a great habit you don't want to break.

Psalm 100:4, “Come into his city with songs of thanksgiving and into his courtyards with songs of praise. Thank him and praise his name.”

Psalm 105:1, “Give thanks to the Lord and pray to him. Tell the nations what he has done.”

Psalm 107:1, “Thank the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever.”

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