BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO
Gratitude is the right attitude. Showing gratitude is essential, particularly showing gratitude to God. Not everybody shows gratitude. Some people are ungrateful, no matter what you do for them. Unfortunately, some Christians are guilty of ingratitude, both to God and human beings. This can be due to a lack of contentment, an entitlement spirit, ignorance, pride, familiarity, comparison, folly, etc. Ingratitude is a sin. Don’t be ungrateful to God and humans. Demonstrate your gratitude to God and those who bless you or help you.
In Luke 17, nine of the ten lepers who cried out to Jesus for mercy were ungrateful after being healed. Only the Samaritan among them returned to Jesus to give thanks. As they were going to show themselves to the priest as Jesus had commanded them, he noticed that he was healed and returned to Jesus, glorifying God with a loud voice.
Luke 17:14-19 says, “So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well’” (NKJV).
Some people today behave like these ungrateful lepers. They receive miracles and blessings from God but don’t show gratitude to Him. This is a sin. Luke 6:35 says that God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked, but don’t abuse the kindness of God. Be grateful to Him. Always return to give glory to Him as the Samaritan leper did and as Hannah did when she returned to Shiloh after God had answered her prayer and given her a child, Samuel. She returned to testify to God’s power and fulfil her vow (1 Samuel 1:24-28). David said, “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2 NIV). David went further to highlight some benefits or blessings from God. Always remember God’s blessings in your life and show gratitude to Him. This is important. Remember all that God has done for you, and thank Him, even if you have offered Thanksgiving in the church before. Gratitude to God is never too much. You cannot pay Him for all He has done for you.
Many people may thank God after receiving a miracle, but what happens in bad times? Will you show gratitude to God in bad times? Will you thank God if or when things don’t go the way you expected? God wants you to thank Him, no matter the circumstances you find yourself. Whether you are going through a good time or a bad time, you must give thanks to God.
You are not thanking God for the bad things but thanking Him for His goodness and the good things, despite the bad things that may have happened. Giving thanks is God’s will for you. Paul says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV). Note the phrase “Give thanks in all circumstances.” This includes both the good and bad times. Thank God in all circumstances. Thank God, despite the negative and scary medical report, business failure, financial hardship, troubled marriage, etc. You are not thanking God for these adverse developments but thanking Him regardless of them. Thank God whether the answers to your prayers have come or not. Thank Him whether you are healed supernaturally or medically. The knowledge for medical healing comes from God. When you thank God, even in bad times, you are doing His will.
The prophet Habakkuk says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV). Rejoicing amid the discouraging situation that the prophet described could only have been possible with God’s help. The natural response would be to lament and wail. But the Bible teaches that the proper response is to rejoice. Rejoicing and thanking God go together. When you are experiencing a bad time, don’t let it weigh you down or cause you to be depressed. Turn the tables against the devil by thanking God in the circumstance.
James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (NIV). Note the phrase “Consider it pure joy.” Some translations say, “Count it all joy.” Rejoice and thank God, no matter the condition you find yourself. Don’t be a captive of your negative condition.
Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (NIV). Paul, who encouraged the Philippian Christians to rejoice always, was in prison in Rome at this time. Despite his imprisonment, he chose joy over sorrow. The authorities could deny him his freedom to go anywhere he wanted, but they couldn’t deny him his right to rejoice regardless of his circumstances.
Rejoice always, and show gratitude to God, even in bad times. In Philippians 1:17-18, Paul prioritised rejoicing regardless of what happened. He said, “The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Philippians 1:17-18 NIV). Note the phrase “because of this I rejoice.” Paul decided to focus on the positive instead of the negative.
David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1 NKJV). David didn’t say he would sometimes bless the LORD, but that he would bless the LORD at all times. In other words, he would bless the Lord always; he would bless Him, notwithstanding whatever happened to him.
The apostle Peter talked about rejoicing while suffering for Christ. “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:2-13 NKJV). Rejoice and thank God when you suffer for Christ, or when you go through the trial of faith. In Acts 5, after the Jewish Council had beaten the apostles, they departed rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ’s name (verses 40-41). Paul said in Romans 5:3, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance” (NLT).
Don’t thank God only in good times; thank God every time, including bad times.
Why you should thank God in bad times
Thank God, even in bad times. Why?
1. God loves you both in good times and bad times. Whatever you are going through in life, God loves you. When you go through bad times, it does not mean that God does not love you or has stopped loving you. God’s love for you is based on His character. God is love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8; 1 John 4:16). God loves you unconditionally.
You should thank God, even in bad times, because He loves you and is committed to you in your unfavourable circumstances. “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:35-37 NLT).
2. God is good all the time and is bigger than your problems. God is good (Psalms 100:5a; 34:8a; Nahum 1:7a). He is good by His nature and character. God is good to all (Psalm 145:9a). He is good all the time, not only because or when good things happen to you. Psalm 106:1 says, “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (NIV). Note the phrase “for he is good.”
God is good both in good times and bad times. Therefore, thank Him regardless of the season of life you may be in. When things are difficult, and you don’t feel like thanking God, thank Him. He is good, all the time, and will do you good.
3. God has your best interests at heart and will never leave you or forsake you. Despite the bad times you may have experienced or may be experiencing, God has your best interests at heart. God’s thoughts towards you are of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5b). “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV).
When you pass through the waters, He will be with you; when you pass through the rivers, He will not allow it to sweep over you; neither will He let the fire you pass through burn you (Isaiah 43:2). Knowing that God has your best interests at heart and will never leave you or forsake you is a good reason to thank Him, even in bad times. You are not alone. God is with you.
4. God will work all things together for your good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV). The phrase “in all things” means in everything – both good and bad. You should thank God, even in bad times, because God will cause both the good and bad times to work together for your good. He will cause both the pleasant and unpleasant experiences to work to your advantage because you love Him, and you are called according to His purpose. It may not appear so now, but it will become clear to you soon. Because God loves you, He will do for you whatever aligns with His will for your life. “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32 NLT).
5. Thanksgiving has great spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical benefits. Thanking God always, including in bad times, helps you to be spiritually healthy. It helps you to overcome anxiety and live better. It boosts your faith and provokes God’s power and miracles.
Research in the field of gratitude has found that gratitude to God has many benefits. These include improved relationship with God, enhanced spiritual well-being, increased confidence in God, growing humility, greater helping behaviour, strengthened physical and mental health, and better stress management.
Conclusion: Don’t be an ungrateful child of God. Thank Him for all He has done for you. Even in bad times, thank Him. He is God both on the mountain and in the valley. He changes the times and seasons (Daniel 2:21). Thank God, whether you are experiencing a good time or a bad time. At the proper time, God will change your unfavourable season to a favourable one.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must give your heart to Jesus now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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