If you’re a parent, you’ve probably mumbled under your breath, or out loud, the following phrase to one or more of your children: “Why you ungrateful…” I’m not wrong on that, am I? As leaders, we all want to be people who are known for our gratitude. As a Godly Leader, however, that gratitude has a source and starting point – gratitude to God. So, before we talk about gratitude to others in my next blog, today we’re going to start talking about where the gratitude muscle needs to begin to be strengthened – gratitude to God.
It is essential for the Godly Leader to live a life of daily expressing gratitude to our Creator and Savior. Here are five practical ways Godly Leaders can show gratitude to the Lord:
#1 – BEGIN THE DAY WITH THANKS.
This is an easy and simple enough first step, but… do we actually do it? Do we lay in bed and grab our phones, or lay in bed and thank God for another day of life? Do we turn on the radio, TV, or a podcast, or spend time in prayer with a significant portion applied to thanks to God? It is essential for the Godly Leader to begin the day with an attitude of gratitude.
Two pro tips in this regard:
1) Use the C.H.A.T. method to pray every day – Confess, Honor, Ask, and Thank. That will ensure you are not just praying to the great “Santa Clause in the sky with your wish list,” and it ensures that gratitude and thanks are a part of your system and habit of prayer.
2) Reflect on yesterday, and as you walk through the day in your mind, thank the Lord for all the big and small things that He did for you yesterday.
#2 – THANK HIM IN YOUR WORSHIP.
To “worship” means to give God His “worth-ship.” He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. Put on a worship radio station, pull a great Spotify worship set, sing in the shower, or worship while driving down the road. The more we worship, the more grateful and thankful we are. The Godly Leader is a worshiping leader.
#3 – TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR GRATEFULNESS.
Psalm 103:2 says that we are to “bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” We are also told throughout Scripture to tell others of what God has done for us. When we praise God in front of others, it is a way of expressing gratefulness and gratitude to our Savior and Lord. Have you ever been to a restaurant or entertainment destination and an employee says to you on your way out, “The best way you can thank us is by telling others about us”? That’s true of the Lord – we exist to glorify Him. The more we tell others of our gratefulness for our salvation, lives, and blessings, the more we show our gratitude to the Lord.
#4 – USE YOUR DAILY QUIET TIME AS A WAY TO EXPRESS THANKFULNESS.
When you spend time with the Lord reading His word, pause and thank Him for what He is revealing and teaching to you. Thank Him for giving you His Word in the first place! As you linger in the Lord’s presence, you have access to unmeasurable treasures. It is essential for the Godly Leader to be in the Lord’s presence in prayer and in His Word daily. It is also essential for the Godly Leader to leverage that time as a time for thankfulness.
#5 – THANK HIM FOR THE HARD THINGS IN LIFE.
Because life is still broken with the presence of sin, we encounter difficulties every day. What if we took our hard situations, even our sin, and instead of becoming despondent, we thanked the Lord for our righteousness and security in Christ? Pausing to be thankful turns our hearts away from ourselves and back towards the Lord.
We could talk a lot more on this topic, but we’ll leave it there for now. What are your thoughts or questions? Leave them in the comments. If you found this blog helpful or thought-provoking, please subscribe below to receive a new blog in your email every other Tuesday morning. Also, if you think this blog would be helpful for others, please share it on social media or tell a few friends about it!
Love being on this Essential Godly Leadership journey with you!
Essential Godly Leadership: “Leading your life, your family, your work, your relationships, and your world in a way that is seeking wisdom from, and pleasing to, the Lord Jesus.”