Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! – Psalm 100:4, Amplified Bible (AMP)

One recent Wednesday night, I had the privilege of teaching the lesson in our mid-week children’s church program.  During the talk, I asked the kids two simple questions.  The first one was this: What are some things you are thankful for that Jesus has given to you? I spent a few minutes writing the kids’ answers on the classroom whiteboard, and by the time we were done, the kids had listed quite a few things, including family, friends, stuffed animals, video games, the Bible, and salvation.  During this part of the exercise, the mood in the room was cheery and festive.

Next, I asked the kids my second question: What would your life be like if Jesus had not given you those things you just listed? I got answers like “horrible,” “awful,” “sad,” and “hopeless.”  During the moments I wrote down the answers to this second question, the mood in the room changed drastically. No longer cheery and festive, it turned somber and quiet.  Although young and inexperienced in life, those children clearly got the picture – life would be hopeless without Jesus.

So often we say “thank you” to God, but we offer the thanks only half-heartedly. The reason for our half-heartedness is because we’ve no grasp on just how horrible life would be if we didn’t have God’s blessings in our lives. We’ve come to take those blessings for granted, but we would do well to ponder, just as the kids did, how hopeless life would be without Christ and His blessings.

Before you get back to your daily routine, take a moment to think of the three things for which you are most grateful. Then, consider what your life would be like without those three things.  When you envision how awful – perhaps even hopeless – life would be without God’s precious gifts, you will be able to give God a much more hearty “Thank You!” the next time the two of you chat.

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