Everything that we have come from the Lord, even our very life. Job said these words when he lost everything due to disaster, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." When we were born on this earth, we didn't have anything. We were naked and had nothing to show forth. We were helpless and in need of help to survive. God provided us parents and/or others to help us grow, but God has been with us all along, giving us everything we need. We cannot survive if God doesn't provide us with air to breathe and the sun to warm our bodies every day. Everything that we have has been given to us by our Heavenly Father. Our ability to reason, to think, to speak, to walk, to learn, to grow, to work, to love, etc., comes from Him. Our salvation and eternal life came from Him. James 1:7 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
Being thankful is a mark of a genuine Christian because when we know that everything we have has been granted to us by our Heavenly Father and we do not deserve it, we appreciate Him more and everything we have. And when we are thankful, we overcome our pride and enjoy life better. Job was able to praise and thank God when he lost his children, health, possessions, and comfort because he realized that everything he had come from the Lord, and the Lord had the right to take everything back from him. Later in his life, the Lord restored his health and possessions and gave him new children.
No matter what is going in our lives, we need to be thankful because God has promised us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. No matter how bad it gets, we are not alone, for God will always be with us. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." One of the keys to be content is always to be thankful. We may not have the latest and greatest materials, but we are content with what we have because we are grateful to be alive in Christ Jesus.
Ask yourself these questions: Why do I need to be thankful every day? Who has provided everything that I have? What is the will of God in my life?
Write down all the worries that you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you for providing everything that I have. Thank you for saving me from my sin and giving me eternal life. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends. Thank you for encouraging and teaching me to trust you in the midst of my problems. Thank you for all your blessings. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.