In 2006, National Public Radio stated that writing a handwritten note is still the best way to send a thank you. But do this "Thankless Generation" people do it? Sandra E. Lamb writes in her book "How to Write It", “We write 75 to 80 percent fewer thank you notes, appreciation notes, congratulation notes, thinking-about-you notes, and just-a-note notes than our grandmothers did.” Often, the problem is not the ability to send a thank you message, but our own sense of duty to be thankful. Thankfulness is not cultivated in our society. Professors and pastors who open new vistas of thought and imagination to us, who inspire us with their passion, are too often overlooked except for the occasional moment where we feel compelled to say something. Friends share time and effort, lend money and rides, yet are often overlooked.
When you see the progression of what occurs when you are unthankful, you would think people would begin countering it, yet we always hear how busy everyone is instead, or “I meant to.” You can divide thankfulness into three levels:
Level One—Appreciation
This is usually a feeling that spurs some type of positive action.
John 6:11 tells us, “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.” Here Jesus is modeling that we should be thankful for the food that we partake of—it isn’t just a given that we will have food, or shelter, or clothes, or a church family, or friends . . .
Level Two—Gratitude
This is generally something nice you do for someone who may not specifically deserve it, but the overall situation is such that it’s still deserved.
II Samuel 9:7 tells us, “And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land.” Saul, David’s worst enemy in the world, was also the father of Jonathan, his best friend in the world. As a show of gratitude for this friendship, David found Jonathan’s son, who had been hidden away, and brought him to the palace and gave him special treatment. David looked past what Saul had done to him and allowed a relative, a man who could start a rebellion by claiming that he deserved to be king, to live. By this gesture he knew there was nothing that the house of Saul could do to repay him.
Level Three—Thanksgiving
This is a spiritual condition that is exemplified as a form of worship, acknowledging divine blessing no matter your condition.
Genesis 8:20-21 tells us, “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake.” God had just wiped out mankind in a flood. Only Noah and his family survived. Upon leaving the ark, Noah built an altar and gave offerings to the Lord. As a result, God made an eternal promise to mankind for him that the rainbow would remain a promise that the earth would never be flooded again. God finds favor in those who show their thanks as a form of worship. This thanks that Noah offered up went beyond a mere gesture, it was an all-consuming heartfelt acknowledgment of who provided everything for him and his family. If Noah represented the attitude many have today, he would have gotten off the ark a little upset with God, asking, “Why did you leave us in there for that long?” “Why did you make me work so hard on the ark with all those stinking animals?” “Whatever happens now isn’t my fault, it’s yours because you did all this!” Instead, Noah had a heart of worship that acknowledged God’s being as everything to him—and God relished this spirit of worship.
Your thankfulness as worship bypasses the current situation, what the situation looks like, and it bypasses your current feelings—your thankfulness as worship is consistent.
Living in our society today makes it hard to be thankful. You are consistently encouraged to fight for yourself, promote yourself, and exalt your accomplishments. This type of attitude can permeate your very being, yet as a Spirit-filled Christian you can overcome this attitude with thankfulness.
The more you develop a spirit of thanksgiving, the more you realize that thankfulness is an attitude that must be cultivated every day.
