I’ve spent a good chunk of the last two days of work writing thank you notes. I love writing thank you notes. It might because my primary love language is words of affirmation, or because my mother drilled (she might use the word ‘instilled’) into me the value of a hand -written thank you note when I was growing up. Whatever the reason I find joy in showing my appreciation for other people through writing – particularly thank you notes.

It’s easy to focus on the negative things happening around you. Our media doesn’t really make it any easier either with tragic news stories, one million different types of crime shows and with social media it feels like that’s all that you ever hear about.

Sometimes I wonder if God feels that way. That bad things are all he ever hears about. When we pray, we often pray in supplication (asking God for things). Don’t misunderstand me – God delights when we pray to him regardless of the content of our prayers, but perhaps with all of the things that surround us in the world how can we miss the point that God is GOOD.

I mean seriously.

He is the only one who is completely good. His Son came to us and lived as a human, just like you and I, yet he never sinned. He consistently keeps his promises and always has a plan to work out things to the GOOD of his will. Yes there are “bad thing” road bumps along the road to Good Thing Land (I prefer to call it Heaven), but in that doesn’t change the fact that God is GOOD.

If you were never thankful for anything else for the rest of your life (not a lifestyle I would recommend), can we agree that this is one thing that we can and should be thankful for – God’s goodness?

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

You wanna talk about God’s WILL? (Most people do.) Here it is – plain as day, my friends. Give thanks! Thankfulness can change a person. It can change your attitude about your life and the people in it, give you contentment, and give you new perspective.

My parents joke about our family being the annoying “thank you” people wherever we go, they are always thanking people left and right. When we go out to eat we thank the server for every tiny thing that they do – filling our drink, taking our menu, taking our order, taking our plates when we’re done, etcetera, etcetera. Yes, of course they are “just doing their job”, but what happened if you were never thanked for anything you did all day? Wouldn’t that change you? Wouldn’t you grumble about being in a thankless job?

God wants to hear us say thank you as well. I would say he has the most thankless job that exists. I mean he created us and everything that surrounds us so that the earth could sustain itself – everything perfectly designed all they way to our Salvation through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. And here we are piddling around moaning and groaning about this or that and forgetting the amazing things that he has done! Let’s thank him!

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17

Note: This isn’t meant to be guilt inducing or me telling you how you do or don’t or should or shouldn’t pray. I am speaking in generalities and hoping and praying that you and I can focus on what really matters and create a culture of thankfulness.