Gratitude: Assisting in the search for love

There are a few things that unite all of us, a couple of interests we have in common. But there’s one really big one that we all share. In fact, I was at a Rangers baseball game on Sunday and looked around at the thousand people there and marveled at how different we all were. But I also wondered, is there one thing that connects us all? That everyone can relate to? I discovered that there was. It’s our search for love. We all deeply desire to be loved and know that we’re loved. Loved unconditionally, loved for who we are, loved for what we contribute. And we search for that in everything we do, it drives us and we hurt deeply when we feel the lack of it. Today I could tell you where to find that love, I could tell you that you already have it, that would be a very uplifting, optimistic, and true message. But today I want to expound on something a little more convicting to most of us: Showing that love to others. Specifically, gratitude. Because if you really think about the love we’re shown every day, we have a lot to be grateful for. If we think about the fact that everyone around you wants to feel appreciated, then maybe we’ll be more willing to show that appreciation.

We here this word gratitude a lot and commonly understand that it’s a good thing and we should be grateful. I have to ask though when’s the last time you told someone you were grateful for them? And when’s the last time you really took a minute to count your blessings? See, gratitude isn’t just an attitude, it requires action. It’s not just a mindset or a thought, it’s an expression. Being grateful is also commanded by God. 1^st Thessalonians 5:18 says, “ in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Notice this verse doesn’t say, “When things are going well, give thanks.” Nor does it tell us to simply think about being thankful. Rather we are commanded to express that thankfulness to God for everything He’s given us. We have to remember that everything we have is a gift, freely given to us by God. James 1:7 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Our faithful, unchanging, all-knowing Father has given us every good thing we have. Not only that, but we are told in Scripture that we have everything we need. The book of Psalms is filled with commands to give thanks to God so each and every day we must be grateful. First and foremost our gratitude should be directed to the Lord, but I think we also should be thankful for the people in our lives.

Colossians 2:6-7 says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Think about it, if we’re overflowing with thankfulness, we would be grateful to the people around us. Unfortunately, we tend to be pretty self-centered. We’re often too absorbed in our own search for love to even notice that same need in others. Sometimes we don’t even recognize the value of another person’s influence on our lives, much less take time to be grateful for it. Do the people around you even know that you’re thankful for them? Honestly, people are the most important things in this world. God has placed these people around us for a reason. Make sure they understand that they are appreciated. When we look at the letters that Paul sent to the churches and to Timothy, we see his gratitude overflowing for them. We should follow that example.

When situations arise and you feel like you’re in the midst of the worst problem ever, look for things you’re grateful for. Remind yourself that you have all you need and then praise God for that. Look around you at the people who support you, help you, encourage you, and motivate you, and be thankful for them. Your focus will turn from being just on yourself to being on God and on others. Thankfulness will make your situation better at least a little bit. And in this way, the people around us who are desperately searching for love and recognition can get a glimpse of it. Gratitude isn’t just a thought, it’s a command. Live it out in your life.