At Christmas, we celebrate the greatest gift ever given—Jesus Christ. But one of the most precious gifts we can give Him in return is—a thankful heart. It blesses us far more than we realize, and it changes the way we see everything around us.
Thankfulness is the gift we give God that keeps blessing us.
A thankful heart doesn’t just say “thank you” with words—it expresses genuine worship to the One who gave us life, salvation, and every good thing we enjoy. Gratitude to God cannot be faked. When God instituted the sacrifice of thanksgiving, He made this clear:
“And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will.” Leviticus 22:29
True gratitude springs from love.
Saying “thank you” without meaning it is like a child muttering an apology because their parents made them. It’s empty. But, my friend, be warned, that not only are there great blessings from a thankful heart; there is a great danger to being unthankful. The Bible warns us that unthankfulness leads to blindness and destruction. An unthankful heart is blinded to God’s goodness:
“Because, although they KNEW God, they did NOT glorify Him as God, nor were THANKFUL, but became FUTILE in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were DARKENED.” Romans 1:21
An unthankful heart fails to acknowledge God for who He is. It shifts the focus from Him to us. The result is confusion and emptiness. For born again believers, the struggle is learning to keep God at the center of all we desire, what we think, how we speak, and what we do. We must have the mind of Christ and the attitudes of Christ. This takes time. But we don’t want to continue life saying we believe in God, but living as if everything depends on us.
Disciplining ourselves to have a thankful heart is such a great gift!
A thankful heart redirects our focus from what we lack—to Who we have. It renews our joy, strengthens our faith, and draws us close to God’s presence. Gratitude transforms how we see the world and gives us God’s perspective. It produces healthy desires.
When we pause to count our blessings—salvation, forgiveness, daily provision, family, friends—we remember that God Himself is our greatest gift.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Psalm 103:2–5
And so, this Christmas, before we unwrap gifts beneath a tree, let’s give thanks to Jesus, who was born to hang on a tree, so we could have eternal life. This Christmas, take time to write your own list of gratitude to the Lord. Here’s a start:
- Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus—the greatest gift of all.
- Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me and giving me new life.
- Thank You, Holy Spirit, for guiding and comforting me each day.
- Thank You for family, friends, and my church.
- Thank You for forgiveness and that Your mercies are new every morning.
- Thank You for daily bread—every need You faithfully provide.
- Thank You for Your peace that guards my heart and mind.
- Thank You for giving me Your strength in weakness and Your light in darkness.
- Thank You for the joy and satisfaction that comes from Your presence.
- Thank You for Your promises to light my path and Your indescribably perfect plan for every area of my life I surrender to You.
