12 Disciplines of a Grateful Heart

Part 2

1.   Give thanks as a holy discipline independent of feelings.

At times our hearts are cold and we don’t feel very thankful,

especially during times of trial. The last thing we ‘feel’ like doing

is giving thanks to God for the storms in our lives.

We don’t feel like praising Him, we don’t feel like being grateful.

But, should we live our lives running on feelings? No!

The Bible tells us that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked

(Jeremiah 17:9) and it also tells us that if we trust in our heart,

we are fools.

Proverbs 28:26

 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:

but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

We are to give thanks, despite our feelings. We must lay aside

our feelings and give thanks, whether we feel like it or not.

It is our duty. God commands it.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God

 in Christ Jesus concerning you.

When we begin to give thanks, despite how we feel,

our words often kindle a small fire that works its way

from our lips down to our hearts and then the gratitude

begins to flow from our hearts and not just our lips.

Being grateful is a choice we have to make.

We must choose to give thanks. We need to see it

as something we owe to God, regardless of how we feel.

When we begin to give thanks, in spite of everything

that is going on around us, God brings along the ‘feelings’ that

may have not been there in the beginning.

We are to make that choice to be thankful, as a holy discipline

independent of feelings. We know that our feelings

are feeble and swayed by every little thing.

But God’s word doesn’t change, and God’s commands

are not something to take lightly.

If God is commanding us to be thankful,

which He is, then our feelings don’t come into it.

It doesn’t matter whether we feel like it or not.

Begin to speak the words of gratitude, and God

will bring the feeling. We give our words with our lips,

 and He works on our hearts and gives the feeling.

Hebrews 13:15

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,

 that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

“Feelings come and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God--
Naught else is worth believing.

Though all my heart should feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart
Whose Word cannot be broken.

I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever,
For, though all things shall pass away,
HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER!”

Martin Luther

(12 disciplines taken from a sermon by Paul Thigpen)