Saying Thank You
You can move through this life saying, “thank you,” and it is just words from your lips. Many of us are taught at a young age to say, “thank you,” and by doing so we learn it’s polite, and we are being appreciative. Although sometimes they are just words. I have seen people use these words and there is no sign of it meaning anything to them. It’s a habit. Yes! We want everyone to say thank you!! It is a good thing! But unless the one saying it truly means it, there is no exchange of good feelings.
Mean It
How do we truly mean it when we say, “thank you?” First, you have to come from a heart of gratefulness. Usually people who have had nothing at some point in their lives, or had great struggles know what it means to be grateful. They know suffering, and learned in those hardships to be thankful for what they had. They learned to “mean it,” because it was all they had. We have been through times of great lack, pain, and loss, and in those times, we learned to be thankful for what little we had, because we know the Giver of all things. When your marriage sees hard times learn to say thank you and mean it! It will change your attitude when you can’t see the blessing.
The Poor
Jesus said we will always have the poor with us. It’s not a derogatory statement to say “the poor,” it’s actually just a recognizing that some will never be rich in goods, although they may be rich in love, family, and faith. There are many around the world that would look at our over abundance in America, and be thankful for just an orange at Christmas in their part of the world. Some, even in this country many years ago, were thankful for such treasures on Christmas morning. My marriage needs more of this! To look a small kindness and say, “thank you,” with a heart full of gratefulness.
A Saying That Stuck
When I was in my 20’s I was told that, “the way you take care of the things you have has a direct impact on what you will have tomorrow.” In essence you are thankful for what you have now, by treating it right, then you will see God bless you with more knowing He can trust you with more. I found out many years later that is a scripture in the bible. Doing this as I have grown up, has changed my view on thankfulness. I learned it works, as God has blessed us with more! Not always material, but in every area of our lives and marriage!
Thankfulness
Thankfulness changes the atmosphere! When I start to worship and thank God for all I have, the enemy leaves! Peace comes into my home and life! I long for each morning now, as I wake up with words of thanksgiving to my Lord! It bares great joy! I can see a change in my heart and mind, my day changes, and my outlook on life. I look around and thank the Lord for all I have, all He is doing, and all He will do! Faith arises!!! Victory comes to my spirit even if my circumstance didn’t change.
Faith
What does faith have to do with being thankful? Faith starts to rise in your heart and home as you thank God because you remember what He has done!! You look back, and see how good He has been to you!!! It increases your faith, and turns any confusing thoughts to a clear understanding of who God is, and how He can bring you out of any situation. Your marriage can go to new heights!
Marriage
How does being truly thankful help my marriage? In EVERY WAY!!! When you start to thank Jesus from a truly thankful heart, you can’t walk around complaining and depressed! You see it’s not hopeless! How? Because you see the good, you see God ordering your steps, you see your life through Gods lens. When this happens, you see that overflow into your marriage. Then no matter what is going on, you can start to thank God for your spouse and see your marriage flourish!
Prayer
Our prayer for you as you enter into a week of the holiday of Thanksgiving, that you are truly thankful! You stop and give God thanks for your life, His mercy, your spouse, and your family! Life is too short to walk around ungrateful or complaining! We pray you hold tight to the ones around you even if things aren’t going just the way you hoped. Thank Jesus for all He has done, and then look at your spouse and thank them too! Make a list of all the things you are thankful about them or things they have done, then let them know!
Scriptures
Monday: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Don’t let your “thank you,” just be lip service. Speak to your spouse with love!
Tuesday: Matthew 15:8 says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” This scripture is talking about our relationship with the Lord, but this can be applied to our marriages as well. Speak it with an honest heart!
Wednesday: Mark 14:7 says, “For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.” He was speaking of doing a small kindness to the poor. Focus this week on being grateful for all you have, even the small things your spouse may do for you!
Thursday: Matthew 25:21 says, “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” This principal can apply to being grateful as well. If you are thankful with what you have, God can trust you with more!
Friday: Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” When we thank God with praise and worship, we see the atmosphere change, the enemy leaves, and we can trust and not be anxious, because we can go boldly to God with our requests!
Saturday: Psalm 28:7 says, “The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” This is a great scripture to remember what God has done and learn to have thankfulness in your hearts in marriage!
Sunday: Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. ” Let God rule your hearts in marriage, as you are thankful!! Your marriage will be blessed when you do!
Contact
Thank you for investing in your marriage and you too can have a happily ever married marriage!!
Please feel free to contact us at janene@happilyevermarried.org also you can share and post more blogs at http://happilyevermarried.org/blog/