“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4). This and many other verses in the Bible make it clear that an attitude of gratitude is essential for drawing close to the Lord.

To consider what thankfulness is, let’s discuss what it is not. The opposite of thankfulness is the attitude that I deserve what I have, that somehow I have earned it and have a right to it. We all teach our children to say thank you when we give them a gift. What kind of ungrateful child would demand anything from the parent they love?

Yet, I know some Christians that actually think they have a “right” to God’s blessings. They totally believe they can demand something from their Father because of some promise they have discovered. What kind of gratitude is that?

This year, let’s be especially thankful because we know we don’t deserve anything from a holy God. That attitude let’s us draw near.

Tags: deserve, rights, thanksgiving