Soil for Thanksgiving

Henry Ward Beecher once said,“A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves. Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grows.”       

As we strive to grow in gratitude, we must be intentional in seeking humility, being mindful of our prideful tendencies. We must resist the temptation to be critical of others, instead choosing to be compassionate and forgiving. Rather than focusing on the failures of others, we must focus on our own opportunities for growth while being thankful that we serve a loving, forgiving God. We must choose to be mindful of the blessings we have in Christ while resisting the temptation to be prideful and selfish. As Christians, our lives should be completely motivated by gratitude for Jesus, our Savior! In order to cultivate a humble mind, three things are necessary for us to remember:

Remember Who God Is

Remember Who We Are

Remember What God Has Done

God is the Almighty, Sovereign God. He is the creator of all things. We are His creation, created in the image of God. Through His matchless grace and mercy, God has given us hope through the gift of Jesus. When we remember all that God has done, we are driven to a more humble posture. Paul writes, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). Let’s be mindful of our prideful tendencies and work to be completely humble and gentle so that we can grow in gratitude. This requires honest reflection and intentionality. Let's make it a priority to express gratitude to God this week as we go to Him in prayer. Let's take the time to show others Jesus through our example of love and gratitude.