Gratitude for what God has given us can change the perspective of our lives.

You can say that thanksgiving is the motto of

those who worship God and the assurance of those who are conscious of being loved by God. “In everything give thanks, for

this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 

We read in Psalms 111:1: “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart” Praise and thanksgiving is essential

to a happy life because if we are not grateful, no matter what we have, we are not satisfied or happy. 

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.” 

To thank God is another privilege of the children of God. Not only should we praise God and bless His holy name, but we should

also have an attitude of humility and acknowledge His goodness in an act of thanksgiving. 

The idea that David expressed in this Psalm, is that to enter into a personal relationship with the King, one needs to go beyond

His courts. To do this it is necessary first to praise and bless Him in a genuine and cheerful way, and going a step further is the

intimacy in which we enter when we give thanks. 

Giving thanks to God is to recognize His greatness, our weakness and His power, and His sufficiency. Actually there are very

few who turn to give thanks to God, compared with those who seek Him only to make their requests.  

We are to thank God today and always, because this is an antidote to depression, doubt and defeat. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank you for our lives and Your provision. We recognize your greatness, we recognize Your power. Lord without You our

life would be meaningless, thank you because all You allow to happen in our lives has a purpose. Thank you for sustaining us in

Your hands; help us in this journey through life to trust more in You. Thank you that through You we are saved, healed and

free. We love you Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him

and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 

During this season of the year and always, let thanksgiving resides in our hearts as we give all praise and glory to God through

Jesus our Redeemer. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Developing and Attitude of Gratitude

Luke 17-14-18 (all references NIV)

Thanksgiving is the act of expressing specific gratitude to God for the blessings God has given us, whether those
things are physical, spiritual or material. And as we grow as believers we should see an attitude of thanksgiving
develop in our lives. A relationship with Jesus Christ should transform us into a joyful, positive and grateful soul.
One sign that Jesus Christ is living in your heart is gratitude. Someone once said that God lives in two places. He
lives in heaven and in a humble, grateful heart.

And so as believers we should make a concerted effort each and every day, not just one day a year to appreciate all
the blessings God has given to us. Our lives should be filled day to day with a spirit of thanksgiving. Psalm 92:1-
2 reads, "It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High to proclaim your love in the
morning and your faithfulness at night." Day and night, the verses say, we are to praise and thank God. The apostle
Paul wrote in Colossians 2:6 that our lives are to abound in thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2 says that we are to be
devoted to giving thanks. Philippians 4:6 says we are to do everything with prayer and thanksgiving. In Psalm 116
we read that we are to make our lives a thanksgiving offering before the Lord. The book of Hebrews says we are to
“serve the Lord with thanksgiving.” And our lives are to be filled with a spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude towards
God for all he has done.

But the sad truth is that most of us aren’t grateful people. When it comes to having a spirit of thanksgiving we fall
short don’t we. We are much better at grumbling and complaining than we are at giving thanks. Despite all the
blessings sometimes we’re anything but thankful.
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We’re often like the 9 lepers in Luke 17.  There we read of ten lepers who stood at a distance and cried out to Jesus
as he was traveling along the border of Samaria and Galilee. The diseased ridden lepers cried out, "Jesus, Master
have pity on us." And Jesus heard the lepers and said to them promptly, "Go show yourselves to the priest."
And Luke 17:14-16 says, "And as the lepers went they were cleansed. One of them when he saw he was healed
came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him." And in verses 17-18
Jesus says to this one leper who returned. "Were not all ten cleansed?" he said. "Where are the other nine? Was no
one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"

Jesus’ emotional response to the ingratitude of the nine lepers gives us a glimpse into the heart of God. Jesus was
disappointed that only one person cared enough to express his gratitude. William Barclay writes, "No story in all the
gospels so poignantly shows man’s ingratitude like the lepers in Luke 17. The lepers came to Jesus with desperate
longing; he cured them and nine never came back to give thanks." Barclay says, "So often once a man has got what
he wants, he never comes back."

Doesn’t that look like us? We take God’s goodness for granted. We receive great blessings yet often we don’t give
God our gratitude. Psalm 103:2 reads, "Blessed be the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his blessings." But in most
cases we forget the blessings of God and never return to say thanks.

Now why do you think we so inclined to forget God and live as ungrateful people?

1. We Are Ungrateful Because of Affluence

Charles Barkley, a former NBA basketball star said his mother was upset with him because he had voted for George
Bush in the recent election. "Charles," she said, "George Bush is the rich people’s president!" "Mom," he answered,
"we are the rich people."

And guess what folks? We are the rich people too. In 1 Timothy 6 the apostle Paul addresses those who are rich in
this present world. Each of us, compared to the rest of the world are rich beyond our wildest dreams. We travel by
airplane, drive nice cars, live in air conditioned homes, have TV’s, VCR’s, computers. We eat in nice restaurants
and we worship in comfortable buildings. On Thanksgiving we ate a meal that people in most parts of the world
could only dream of having. We each live a life of incredible ease and luxury even though we may not think so.

You would think that all these blessings would make us the most grateful people on earth. But often all this affluence
does is really just make us more and more discontented and ungrateful, because often the by-product of having so
much is a desire for more. And it is very hard to be grateful when we cannot learn to be happy with what we already
have.

2. We Are Ungrateful People Because of Pride

We are prideful because we think we have earned all the things we have received. We say to ourselves, "I’ve
worked hard to get that job. I raised my kids to be good people. I studied for those grades. I earned that award." A
bumper sticker reads, "I couldn’t have done it without me." And in our pride, we don’t even think to thank God. We
give ourselves a pat on the back and forget that it is God who has blessed us. Psalm 10:4 reads, "In his pride the
wicked does not seek God; in all his thoughts there is no room for Him." And in our pride we have forgotten that it is
God who gives good gifts from above.

3. We Are Ungrateful People Because Of Who We Hang Around With

Some of us live among such ungrateful, negative people that we soon turn grumpy and sour ourselves. The Bible
says, "Bad company corrupts good character." 1 Corinthians 15:33. And the time we spend with negative ungrateful
people will influence us whether we want it to or not.

When the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750s, Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet,
was told to anchor outside Quebec. His orders were to wait for the British land forces to arrive, then support them
when they attacked the city. Phipps’ navy arrived early. And as he waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the
saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, so he commanded his men to shoot them with the ships’
cannons. No one knows how many many statues were knocked down, but when the land forces arrived, the admiral
was of no help. He had used up all his ammunition shooting at the "saints." Too often that happens in spiritual
warfare too.

Did you know that ingratitude and grumbling are just as addictive as crack. Some have picked up a habit of
complaining years ago in their homes and now it is in their nature. Some do it so regularly they don’t even recognize
it as a problem. Some of us even come to church and complain. "I hope they don’t sing too many songs today. It is
too cold in here. Would you look at that, someone’s sitting in my chair. Can you believe it, the preacher’s preaching
to long again and we’ll never get a seat at Home Town Buffet for lunch." People say all that and don’t even know
they’re complaining. It’s a bad habit, but even worse than that it’s sin.

 
5. We Are Ungrateful People Because of Circumstances

It is hard to rejoice and be thankful when the bills are piling up and the company is considering layoffs. And often the
reason behind our ingratitude is bad circumstances.

Remember when Moses took the Israelites into the desert and they became entrapped by the Red Sea with
Pharaoh’s army in heavy pursuit of them they complained. Exodus 14:10-11 says, "the Israelites looked up and
there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They said to Moses, ’Was it because there were no graves in Egypt
that you brought us to the desert to die." The Israelites first reaction to their tough circumstances was to grumble.
Maybe today, it is hard for you to be thankful because you are trapped by a situation in your life that is really tough.

Now I don’t know what specific reasons cause you to be ungrateful. It could be a combination of many things. Pride,
affluence, habit or circumstances. But whatever the case, I think we all wish we could learn to be more thankful and
to develop a spirit of thanksgiving in our lives. So, here are four steps to having an attitude of gratitude…

1. Remember How Much Gratitude Pleases God

Gratitude makes God happy. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 says, “They raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang,
‘He is good; his love endures forever. Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud and the priests could not
perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.” God’s presence came
to the temple in response to the thanksgiving that was coming out of it. God loved to hear the praise from the temple
and so He drew near. It appears that thanksgiving and praise are the key to manifesting the presence of God. It
pleases him.

2. Avoid Complaining At All Costs

Complaining and grumbling are the biggest barriers to gratitude. And we need to learn to catch ourselves when we
complain and stop it right away. Numbers 11:1 says the Israelites “complained about their hardships and when God
heard it his anger was aroused.” And we need to avoid complaining like the plague because God hates it and it
ruins our spiritual lives. Psalm 77:3 says, “I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed.”

Bob Russell writes, “I really believe the most important step in developing inner peace is to quit complaining and
start praising.”

Paul wrote in Philippians 2:14, "Do everything without complaining and arguing so that you may become blameless
and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the
universe."

3. Make a Personal Choice To Rejoice

It maybe difficult to be thankful at certain times we need to make a personal decision that we are going to be
grateful people even when we do not feel like or when it is hard. The apostle Paul wrote these words from prison.
"Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say it rejoice." Notice Paul says rejoice twice. Paul made a personal choice
to be grateful despite his circumstances. He decided that even though he was in prison it didn’t matter. He was
going to praise and thank God anyway. And it transformed his perspective.

Doctors Minerth and Mier have a book entitled, Happiness is a Choice. And I would add to that. That gratitude is
also a choice. We have to make a consciuos decision that we are going to be grateful despite the circumstances of
our life. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
Francie Swartz in her book Chicken Soup for the Soul tells about a guy named Jerry who was always in a good
mood and always had something positive to say. And when asked how he was doing he would always say, "If I was
any better I’d be twins." Jerry was a restaurant manager who everybody loved to work for because he was so
positive. And Francie said, "I don’t get it Jerry, you can’t possibly be upbeat all the time how do you do it?" And Jerry
replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself Jerry you have two choices today: you can either choose to be
in a bad mood or choose to be in a good one. And I choose to be in good mood." "Oh its not that easy," I protested,
Swartz writes. "Yes it is," Jerry responded, "life is all about choices." Well several years ago, Jerry’s restaurant was
robbed. The thieves panicked and shot him and he was rushed to the emergency room. He spent 18 hours on the
operating table and several weeks in intensive care but he survived.

And later she asked him how he did it. He said, "When I was laying on the floor I remembered I had two choices, I
could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live. The paramedics were encouraging, but when they
wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the looks on the faces of the doctors and nurses I got really scared.
Because in their eyes I read he’s a dead man and I knew I needed to take action." And there was a big burly nurse
shouting questions at me and she asked, ’Are you allergic to anything?’

’Yes,’ I replied. And the doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. ’BULLETS,’ I answered.
And over their laughter I yelled ’I’m choosing to live, operate on me as I am alive not dead.’ And Jerry lived thanks to
the skill of the doctors, to his attitude, and to the grace of God. And Francie Swartz says, "I saw Jerry six months
after the accident and asked him how he was doing and he replied, ’If I was any better, I’d be twins." And much of
life is determined not by circumstances but by personal choice. It matters how you choose to live. And so I challenge
you to begin to make a personal choice and decide that you are going to rejoice in the Lord no matter what.

4. Develop The Daily Discipline Of Giving Thanks

In order to be thankful people we need to start to give thanks everyday. We need to discipline ourselves to find
something each day that we should be thankful for to God. In Daniel 6 we read that Daniel got down on his knees
three times everyday and prayed and gave thanks to his God. And how many of us do that? We often think we’re
good if we give thanks once a day. So, I want to challenge you to begin a regular routine of finding something
everyday to give thanks for. No matter how small your blessing is, you learn to search out the positive in the midst of
the negative and give thanks for what you do have. An old hymn says, "Count your many blessings, name them one
by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

The story is told of two old friends who met on the street. One of them looked sad, almost on the verge of tears. His
friend asked, "What has the world done to you, my friend?" The sad fellow said, "Three weeks ago, an uncle died
and left me $40,000." "That’s a lot of money." "Yes, but, two weeks ago, a cousin I never knew died, and left me
$85,000 free and clear." "Sounds like you’ve been blessed...." "You don’t understand!" he interrupted. "Last week
my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a $250,000." Now he was really confused. "Then, why do you look so
sad?"  "This week... nothing!"  Is that the way we live before a gracious and loving God who gave himself for us?
Five Keys To Giving Thanks

What Do You Think of When You Think of Thanksgiving?

Eating, Football, Long Weekend, Shopping, History, or Family? Thanksgiving is much more than any of this. True thanksgiving
is not just a day for food, football, and family. It’s not just a holiday every fourth Thursday in November. For God’s people,
everyday ought to be Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive holiday. It doesn’t commemorate a battle or anyone’s birthday. It is simply a day set aside to
express our thanks to God. Did you know that in 1789, George Washington made a public proclamation saying that, “it is the
duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to
implore His protection and favor?” He recommended and assigned Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 to be a day of
Thanksgiving.

Of course most of know the story of the pilgrims and how they and the Indians of the area had a Thanksgiving feast in 1621 –
long before Washington’s proclamation.

Even earlier than 1621 – we find people offering up thanks to God. In the Old Testament we find a Song of Thanksgiving. It
is Psalm 100. It is subtitled “A Psalm of Thanksgiving”. It is an invitation to join together to acknowledge the great things that
God has done. Not only does Psalm 100 call us to praise the Lord with thankfulness – but it also describes to us the nature of
thanksgiving. Let’s read Psalm 100 together:

“A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His
presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and
the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless
His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” Psalms 100:1-5 (NKJV)

In this Psalm I find five key words that describe the essence of thanksgiving. The first word is:

1. JOY

“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!” Psalm 100:1 (NKJV)

We don’t have problems shouting at a football game, but we very seldom raise our voice in church. I remember a few years ago
when some of you got shook up here in church. I was preaching along and the Spirit of God was extremely powerful that day.
One gentleman was so moved that morning that he let out a shout. He just yelled out in the middle of the service. It shook some
of you up. Good! Our lives are meant to be a joyful call to God. God wants us to get excited about who He is.

Just this past week I saw the film clip of the victory celebration in New York City when World War II ended. Folks, that
celebration was a shout of praise. The war was over – the victory had been won. We need to shout praises to God – I have read
the end of the Book – I know who wins the war – I know who has victory – Praise be to God on high! I need to shout joyfully
because God has won the victory. We need to be filled with joy and shout about it.

The second word is:

2. GLADNESS

“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.” Psalms 100:2 (NKJV)

Folks let me tell you this – there is a huge difference between gladness and sadness.

When we come before the Lord – we are to do it with gladness not sadness.

There are times when people come to church on Sunday morning worship almost like they are coming to a funeral service. I’ll
tell you the truth – we need to come in here on Sunday morning like we are coming into a resurrection service. My Lord has
risen from the dead. I need to celebrate that fact. Because you see:

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;

I know that He is living, whatever men may say;

I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,

And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me, along life’s narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.*

Folks, when we come before the Lord – we ought to do it with gladness.

The third word is:

3. DEPENDENCE

“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His
pasture.” Psalm 100:3 (NKJV)

This verse shows three roles of God:

a. God is LORD

We are to make Him ruler, master, boss of our lives.

God is God and we are NOT.

God told Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’” Exodus 3:14 (NAS) Folks, you have no more control over God then you do the weather. God
is God and we are not.

b. God is CREATOR

If you create something, you are greater than what you have created. You have every right over that which you have made.

“It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves” Psalm 100:3b (NKJV)

c. God is SHEPHERD

“We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3c (NKJV)

God guides us to the place of security, plenty and rest.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He
restores my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3 (NKJV)

Someone has rightly said,

If we are created, He is the Creator.

If we are sheep, He is our Shepherd.

If we enter His courts, He is our King.

If we serve Him, He is our Master.

I am dependent on God. He created even the air that I breath. He knows every hair on my head. He knows every beat of my
heart. I thank HIM for being God - I am dependent on Him.

The fourth word – of course – is:

4. THANKFULNESS

You can’t give thanks unless you are thankful.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm
100:4 (NKJV)

Thanksgiving is what flows out of a thankful HEART.

In Luke chapter seventeen there is a very interesting story. Jesus enters a village and upon entering He finds ten men who were
lepers. They stood a long way off and yelled out to Jesus, "Jesus, have mercy on us!" When Jesus saw them, He said to them,
"Go, show yourselves to the priests." Did you know that they had not been cleansed yet? They left before they were cured –
because the Bible says, “that as they went along, they were cleansed.” Do you know what happened then? One of them – only
one of them – when he saw that he was healed, turned around and went back to see Jesus. The Bible says he fell down on his
face at the feet of Jesus, glorified God and thanked Jesus for what He had done. Only one out of ten THANKED Jesus. Do you
remember what Jesus asked him? "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”

Folks we need to be thankful to God for what He has done for us.

That brings us to the fifth word is:

5. GRATITUDE

“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:5 (NKJV)

Three reasons to be grateful:

a. The Lord is GOOD

b. The Lord’s mercy is EVERLASTING

c. The Lord’s truth endures FOREVER

In Romans chapter eleven Paul is giving thanks and praise to God when he writes:

“Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes.
Yes. Yes.” Romans 11:36 (MSG)

Our praise, our thanksgiving and our worship needs to directed to God. We need to be thankful for what He has done.

I want you to notice something about Psalm 100 – in its short five verses – look at how many times God mentioned or referred
to. Lets read it again:

The fourth word – of course – is:

4. THANKFULNESS

You can’t give thanks unless you are thankful.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm
100:4 (NKJV)

Thanksgiving is what flows out of a thankful HEART.

In Luke chapter seventeen there is a very interesting story. Jesus enters a village and upon entering He finds ten men who were
lepers. They stood a long way off and yelled out to Jesus, "Jesus, have mercy on us!" When Jesus saw them, He said to them,
"Go, show yourselves to the priests." Did you know that they had not been cleansed yet? They left before they were cured –
because the Bible says, “that as they went along, they were cleansed.” Do you know what happened then? One of them – only
one of them – when he saw that he was healed, turned around and went back to see Jesus. The Bible says he fell down on his
face at the feet of Jesus, glorified God and thanked Jesus for what He had done. Only one out of ten THANKED Jesus. Do you
remember what Jesus asked him? "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”

Folks we need to be thankful to God for what He has done for us.

That brings us to the fifth word is:

5. GRATITUDE

“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:5 (NKJV)

Three reasons to be grateful:

a. The Lord is GOOD

b. The Lord’s mercy is EVERLASTING

c. The Lord’s truth endures FOREVER

In Romans chapter eleven Paul is giving thanks and praise to God when he writes:

“Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes.
Yes. Yes.” Romans 11:36 (MSG)

Our praise, our thanksgiving and our worship needs to directed to God. We need to be thankful for what He has done.

I want you to notice something about Psalm 100 – in its short five verses – look at how many times God mentioned or referred
to. Lets read it again: