When I was fresh out of high school, I got handed a job that I really liked. It was an office job downtown in my favorite city. It paid a good salary, I got on-the-job training, my boss was kind and fair, and my co-workers were a joy. I was so happy to go to work every day! UNTIL…one day I found out that a newly hired worker was getting a higher wage than I was. My happy attitude disappeared, and I got upset. I thought, “The management owes me a raise! I’m entitled to at least what she’s making. In fact, I’m entitled to a longer lunch hour and more days off….” An older, wiser employee heard my grumbling and took me aside to remind me that I was getting paid what I had agreed to—and that I had a really good job for a new high school graduate with no previous work experience! He said, “Isn’t that something to be thankful for? After all, we really can’t compare ourselves with others in the workforce.” His logic appealed to me, and I was happy once again.
Now when I reflect on those days, I realize that nothing at the job had changed. It was still a great job with good pay and wonderful co-workers. Nothing had changed except me. I had exchanged an attitude of thankfulness for an attitude of entitlement. My co-worker’s words helped me at the time, and several years later I learned some of the solid Biblical truths behind his words.
If we’re not careful to guard our thoughts, we can think we are “owed” more than we already have—by the government, by other people, even by God! But the truth is, God is loading us daily with benefits. We can simply thank Him for the blessings and benefits that He provides us every day.
Psalms 68:19:
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
We give thanks to God because He loads us up daily with benefits! Look at what just a few of these benefits are.
II Corinthians 9:15:
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
As born-again believers, we can be thankful for the gift of Christ in us, the new birth that God made available, and all that entails for us.
I Corinthians 15:55,57:
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can be thankful for the victory we have over death and the grave through our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Corinthians 9:8,11:
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
We can give thanks to God for making all grace abound to us that we always have all sufficiency in all things. And that allows us to “abound to every good work.”
One way we can enjoy the benefits that God has for us in any category of life is to maintain an attitude of thankfulness to Him.
Psalms 107:21:
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Ephesians 5:20:
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 13:15:
…let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
And look what happens when we pray to God with thanksgiving—we can have the peace of God guard our hearts and minds.
Philippians 4:6,7:
Be careful [Be anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep [guard] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Let’s keep our hearts and minds thankful for the many blessings that God supplies and for the benefits that He loads us with daily. As we do so, we will be acknowledging God in all our endeavors, and we will have peaceful hearts and minds because we are living with thanksgiving.
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