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Give thanks\xa0to the\xa0Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks\xa0to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks\xa0to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3)

What has your attitude been like these days?\xa0 Has it been one of gratitude and thankfulness? Gratitude is not about our circumstances. It is a loving and thankful response toward God for His presence with us and within this world.\xa0 Though blessings can move us into gratitude, that is not what is at the root of a thankful heart.\xa0

There are a several attitudes that hinder an attitude of gratitude in our lives.\xa0 I\u2019m going to mention three today.\xa0 The first is the \u201cnever enough\u201d attitude. If we\u2019re not careful we can fall into the trap of thinking that our happiness is connected to what we have instead of who we are in Christ.\xa0 This includes putting more value on the things in our lives rather than on our relationships with others and with God.\xa0 We can combat this tendency by expressing gratitude to God for what we have. \xa0Through giving and sharing what we have with others, as an expression of our love of God and others and as a sign of our thankfulness to God for what He has graciously given us.\xa0

In this too are the gifts that God has given in our everyday, the breath in our lungs, the flowers and trees that are budding in vast arrays of colours and styles, the warm water on our hands as we wash them, the table and chairs that we sit at for meals that are a privilege to own.\xa0 God\u2019s abundance of gifts to us are given because of His mercies and His grace that He pours into our lives. Christ is our enough. \u201cFor he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things\u201d (Psalm 107:9 ESV).

The second attitude is the \u201cI deserve it\u201d attitude.\xa0 It\u2019s easy to slip into this attitude especially in light of our current circumstances. \xa0Society teaches us from a young age that we should be able to get whatever we want, whenever we want it.\xa0 This leads to ungrateful thoughts and behaviour because we believe that we are worthy of positions and titles and material items and we come to believe that we deserve only the best.\xa0 This attitude however, is not a picture of what Christ died for.\xa0 We are to receive what we have as a gift, not as an entitlement.\xa0 We are worthy only because of the worth that has been bestowed on us by Christ. \xa0\u201cAs it is written: \u2018There is no one righteous, not even one\u201d (Romans 3:10).

We are undeserving of Christ, yet we have great worth because of Christ. Let us display our gratitude to God for who we are in Christ!\xa0 We will never be deserving enough for anything that we have, but in God\u2019s love our worth is found. \xa0\u201cBut God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us\u201d (Romans 5:8).\xa0

The third attitude that hinders an attitude of gratitude is the \u201cit\u2019s all about me\u201d attitude.\xa0 My children used to watch a show about animated cars.\xa0 In one episode a young car decides that the world revolves around him and gives himself the nickname \u201cCOTU\u201d that is, \u201cCentre of the Universe.\u201d as he puts down a friend, drives through a freshly planted garden, knocks over a sign and eventually drives out of town looking for an old car who has been living his own way for years.\xa0 After only a few minutes with the older car who spits and cusses and destroys property without thinking, the young car realizes how wrong his attitude was, and quickly drives back to town to right his wrongs and ask forgiveness from his friends.\xa0

Perhaps this sounds like only a silly children\u2019s story, but it is often how we behave even as adults.\xa0 We grumble that we can\u2019t go into a physical store, but there are many in our city that cannot afford even food, no less the \u201cnon-essentials\u201d that are in currently closed stores.\xa0 Where has lack of gratitude crept into your life?\xa0 Take it to God in prayer.\xa0 He will train your heart in His ways if you ask Him. \u201cI will instruct\xa0you and teach you\xa0in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on\xa0you.\u201d (Psalm 32:8).

Start by thinking about, or better yet, writing a list of all of the people that you are thankful for in your life.\xa0 Then, write one of them a note!\xa0 There were lots of cards being sent out at the beginning of the pandemic and I remember pastor Anthony saying in a sermon last year, \u201cLet\u2019s become a card sending church!\u201d\xa0 Part of being thankful is letting those in our lives know that we are thankful for them and their contribution to our lives, whether large or small.

Gratitude is a thread that can bind our lives together through the messy days, happy days, seasons of sickness and difficulties. \xa0Gratitude is a response to God for His presence in our life and in the world.\xa0 Gratitude draws us near to the heart of God our Creator and allows us to get a glimpse of how He sees each one of us--His image bearers, and His creation--astounding!\xa0 Thanks be to God!