Each of us wants to make a difference in this world. We want our lives to count for something. But how do we do it and where do we begin? Do we need ambition, drive, or talents? Is it only reserved for the rich and famous, or perhaps the intelligent? 

What if I were to tell you that you don’t need any of those things to impact the world? What if there was only one thing you needed, and it didn’t require any skill or talent?

“Thankfulness is the very evidence of salvation.”

Far too often, we draw conclusions about others at face value. We look at influential people and attribute their success to talents, charisma, or work ethic. Then, we try to mimic what we see. However, God is not like us; He is not impressed by the things that man values. In fact, when God is looking to recruit someone to display His splendor, He has very different criteria; He looks on the inside, at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). God is not concerned with your age, how smart or athletic you are, your personality, or your credentials. God is only looking for one thing—a thankful heart. 

Many may scoff at the idea that thankfulness is the key to impacting the world, but God’s people know better. Throughout the Bible and throughout history, thankfulness runs through the veins of those who have had the all-time greatest impact for God in this world. Jesus Christ demonstrated thanks to the Father in all things, and His earthly lineage is filled with those like Ruth and David, who gave thanks to their God. Thousands of years later, we are still mesmerized by their incredible legacies. 

Thankfulness goes far beyond merely saying the words “Thank you.” Thankfulness is the very evidence of salvation. When Christ enters, and a person comes to realize he/she is no longer under the wrath of God, but under His grace, the eyes of the heart are open in a whole new way. That regenerated soul now sees all things in the light of God’s mercy and kindness. A well of thanksgiving begins to fill up and bubble over into all areas of life… it flows into their past, present, and even their future! In response to this surpassing grace God has given, the saved soul shouts from the rooftops, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) The result is an overwhelming desire to repay God through a life of holiness, praise, and service unto God.

A person cannot be equipped for God’s Kingdom while still burdened with the baggage of their past. For many people, their past is filled with hurt, heartache, injustice, betrayal, and the list goes on. This pain can feel overwhelming, even physically debilitating as the weight of that load grows heavier with time. Eventually, the baggage becomes too heavy to lift or move, and it becomes an excuse to remain stagnant and embittered. The heart mutters, “This is too hard.” “Why does this always happen to me?” “My life has been one disappointment after another.” “What’s the point in trying?—I’ll only get hurt again.” “What’s in it for me?” You could be the smartest, most gifted person, and waste your entire life, stuck on yourself and your past. No matter how many blessings God gives or how much kindness He bestows, it’s never enough for the ungrateful heart. This is not Christianity.

“Nothing is impossible for the believer equipped with thankfulness.”

The thankful heart, on the other hand, has made an exchange, letting go of all of that baggage, all that was bitter from the past, for the sweetness of Christ. The Lord Jesus takes that thankful person by the hand and, together, they go to each one of those tragedies of the past, where Jesus cleanses, heals, and restores—turning the bitter waters sweet. That person never looks at their past in the same way again. Every memory brings absolute thanks to God—“Lord, you rescued me.” “Father, you will use my past to help so many others for your glory!” “I am closer to you and to others, Lord, because of what you brought me through.” “God, if you brought me through this, You can bring me through anything.” What’s more, thankfulness continues to disarm every weapon sent against you to destroy or embitter you! It has the power to transform your entire life, equipping you to do great things for God. 

Nothing is impossible for the believer equipped with thankfulness. It’s not that their lives are easier than the rest; thankful people often face the most difficult of circumstances. The difference is, they have a right understanding of who God is and the mercy He has shown, and they know who they are and what they have been spared from. This comes from living in thanksgiving—standing on the word of God and trusting in Him alone to save, guide, deliver, and to use them for His glory—this is how they show their thanks. Their present and future are always bright, because they know that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). They give thanks to God in ALL circumstances, no matter what (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Troubles and hardships become no match for the bubbling well of God’s goodness that is continually being stirred and poured out in praises and thanks unto God. These heavenly waters of thanksgiving purify, equipping God’s people to do His will at all times. This gives confidence, strength, and stamina, knowing God is ALWAYS good. Their eyes are fixed on Jesus, ready to serve Him. They don’t consider themselves to have any rights. Their affection, talents, time, money—all of it belongs to God, since all of it was a gift so graciously given by the Lord.

What is it about a thankful person that so moves the heart of God? Let’s look at an example in the Bible. Ruth was a woman who had every reason to be bitter about her past. She lost her husband at a young age, and left her home and any prospects of a future to go to a foreign place with her widowed mother-in-law. She was unknown and undoubtedly looked down upon as a Moabite woman in Israel. Yet, she was known by God, and He looked upon her with favor. Why? Ruth chose to be thankful. She knew what she came from, but didn’t focus on her losses of the past, nor her shortcomings. Those things were miniscule compared to an amazing opportunity to serve the one true God and His people. This thankfulness was reflected in how she served her mother-in-law and her diligent work in the lowly position she attained, gathering scraps of leftover grain behind the harvesters. When she was treated with kindness by Boaz, the owner of the field, her response was this: “Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10) God could not help but to bless Ruth for her humble, thankful heart. He filled her arms with grain, restored her soul, and totally redeemed her with a godly husband and son. Best of all, Ruth would impact the world for ages to come, since God chose her to be part of the lineage of His very own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! 

“Our gratefulness draws others toward Him.”

Then we look at David. We know he became a great warrior and king over Israel, but what was he like when God chose him? Let’s put it this way. When God sent the prophet Samuel to find and anoint the new king, David was considered so insignificant by his father, Jesse, that every single one of Jesse’s sons were presented to the prophet except for David. David was left alone to care for the sheep in the fields. Yet, this was the one God chose. Why? David was thankful. In fact, the Lord called David a man after His own heart (I Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). Although David was rejected by his family, this did not hinder him, but rather propelled him to pursue His God, forever singing thanks and praises to Him: “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness…” (Psalm 7:17) “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him” (Psalm 28:7). “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1) David went on to accomplish incredible feats for God. His thankfulness to God produced a powerful loyalty to his Master that brought him victory after victory against Goliath and so many other enemies of God. Out of the overflow of thanksgiving to the Lord, David wrote countless Psalms that we still read and sing today all over the world. And he, too, was given the incredible honor of being part of Christ’s lineage!  

When we live in thankfulness to God, we are always ready and equipped to say, “Yes, Lord!” We are light on our feet because we do not carry baggage from our past. We simply thank God for how He has brought us through. When we look at our present surroundings—our families, homes, jobs, everything we have—we can’t help but to thank God again and again for all He has given and all He has restored. Without even realizing, we become influencers: refuting lies that come against God’s goodness and pouring out the sweet, irresistible fragrance of Christ. Our gratefulness draws others toward Him. We become a powerful force on this earth, bringing down that heavenly wellspring of thanksgiving.

Jesus prayed to the Father in Matthew 6:10, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we read “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Let’s ask ourselves—Am I equipped? Am I a thankful person? If the answer is no, let us repent this day and truly come into salvation and into God’s will for our lives in Christ Jesus. As those rivers of living water rush in, may our thanks unto Him bubble over unceasingly, and may it be seen, felt, and heard by all, bringing Heaven to Earth, and impacting this world for Christ.