God on the Go: Gratitude When Things Are Good

We’re continuing our discussion on the importance of gratitude, and this week we’re focusing on gratitude during times of success. King Hezekiah, is a great example of what we’re touching on. He became very proud and forgot to thank God when things were going well. It’s not wrong to be proud of our achievements, BUT it’s crucial to remember that it’s God who makes it possible for us to do great things.

What’s New!

Monday Bible Story:

• Hezekiah forgetting to thank God in the good

Tuesday Key Verse:

• 1 Corinthians 1:31 – “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Wednesday Prayer:

• God, thank you for this good thing that has happened in my life. Thank you for being with me as I practice and study and work hard. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Thursday Question:

• Do you think it’s harder or easier to remember to give gratitude to God when things are good? Why?

Friday Fun Fact:

• Q: What are the chances you’ll feel even happier after showing gratitude?
• A: 90%!

 Special thanks to George Fox University for sponsoring the God on the Go Podcast!

Show Notes:

To get this week’s episode and daily text prompts, text the word Go to 89419. If you are in Canada, text GodOntheGo to 866-729-1065

Transcription:

You did all the right things and it paid off. You studied extra hard and aced that spelling test. You listened to your coach and practiced that new kick and you made the winning goal. You worked and worked to get that new choreography down at dance class, and you got chosen for the dance team. You did it. You put your mind to it, and you made it happen, but you’ve forgotten something and I’ve done it too. I’m Julie Lyle’s Carr and this is God on the Go where we make the minutes matter, here on the Purposely Podcast network. It’s awesome when things are good, isn’t it? And you and I both know it takes a lot of hard work. You should be excited and proud of those times when you set your mind to something and you make it happen. So, what is it that you and I forget sometimes?

There’s a king in the Old Testament of the Bible, and he is a guy who is making all the right moves. He was a great soldier and he figured out all kinds of new ways to defeat his enemies. He knew how to make powerful weapons. His name? Hezekiah. And Hezekiah took on some building projects and made the city of Jerusalem even safer and more protected. He was also a great speaker. He knew how to pump up his armies and the people of the city to make them feel brave and courageous. He earned a lot of money and he had a beautiful home and palace. Now, Hezekiah had really relied on God when he was facing hard things. Like one time when he was sick and other times when his enemies were really coming after him. But when life started going good for Hezekiah… well, he got a little full of himself, honestly. The Bible says, however, Hezekiah didn’t respond with true thanksgiving and praise. For he had become proud.

Hezekiah forgot to thank God to give true gratitude when things were going good. Listen, when you’ve worked hard for something, it’s not wrong to be proud of yourself, but the kind of proud that Hezekiah became, that’s the kind of pride that gets us into trouble. That’s the kind of pride when we forget it’s God who makes it possible for us to do great things. That’s the kind of pride when we think it’s because we did something great all on our own without any help. Hezekiah just about blew up everything he had accomplished because he forgot to give gratitude when things were good. Gratitude, when things are good, is really important because it helps us remember that God is at the center of everything we accomplish and everything we have.

I love this verse in the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 1:31 says,

Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

It means, hey, when something goes great, enjoy it, and make sure people know that it’s God working through you and your efforts and your dedication. And get this, 90% of people say that when they are grateful, it makes them even happier. That means that when you are grateful, you’ve got a 90% chance of feeling even happier. How cool is that? You think you’re already happy about something that has happened, or something that you’ve accomplished? It will make you even happier when you thank God for it.

Here’s something else that I think will make you happy. Text the word GO. that’s G-O to 89419, and we’ll send you all kinds of fun resources and surprises to go with each episode. This week, remember to give God the thanks for the good things going on in your life. God on the Go is sponsored by George Fox University, where each student will be known personally, academically, and spiritually. I’ll see you next week.