A Life of Thanksgiving

This month, as I have considered what it really means to be grateful, I understand that gratitude should be my lifestyle, a constant attitude. We have so much that we are grateful for, so many reasons to give thanks. God tells us that we are to give thanks to Him, but I wondered what specifically are some things we are to thank Him for, and why is that important. I began to check some verses to find out what the Bible says, some of the reasons we are to thank God, and how God wants us to give thanks to Him.

-Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!   1 Chron 16:34

 -I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;  I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Ps 9:1-2 

 -Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!  Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. Ps 33:2-3

 -It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your  steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.  Ps 92:1-3

-Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!  ----For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.                Ps 100:4-5 

-Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, Ps 50:14  

 -I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. Ps 69:30-31

- I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus  1 Cor 1:4

 -Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.  Eph 5:4

 -rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  Col 2:7

 -foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 Tim 4:3-5

-giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Eph 5:20

Sounds like God wants us to sing and shout in our praise and thanksgiving to Him. He wants us to use our voice and any instruments we may play, and put our whole hearts into thanking Him.  Thanksgiving should overflow, be abounding in our lives.

God wants us to thank Him for who He is and what He has done, for His love, and faithfulness, for His great works.  In our gratitude, He wants us to tell other people of the things that God has done for us.

Based on these verses, we are to give thanks for other Christians, for the food that God gives, actually, for everything that God has made, and, finally, just for everything. God has given us so many good gifts, such grace and mercy. He wants us to have hearts that are full of thanksgiving, overflowing with gratitude to Him, as a sacrifice to Him, no matter what our circumstances are.