I try not to be a person who takes blessings for granted as though, in some way, I deserve them, but I know that I do. I know without a doubt that who I am in character and what I have accomplished with my life is a result of those who taught me and raised me and because of many people who impacted our culture so that I can live the way I do. My parents were obviously the most influential in my life; my siblings also shaped my life in various ways. Many pastors, youth leaders, teachers, and friends spoke into my life in multiple ways. I take all those people for granted; I simply don’t take the time to think, remember, and say thank you.

And then there were all the church fathers who preached, taught, and protected the purity of the gospel, many being martyred because they stood firm. There were the founders of our country, the many soldiers who fought and died in wars so that I could live in freedom.

The command to be thankful is given in the Bible many times. We obviously need to thank God all the time and also those who have given, served, and sacrificed for us. Saying thank you and being grateful is a key way for our character to grow and become like Jesus. It is also a powerful glue in relationships. Nothing much will destroy relationships as much as taking people for granted and not appreciating them and their contribution to our lives.

In my praying today, I made a special point of thanking God for those people He sovereignly used in my life. I also asked that He would work in my heart and make me more and more a grateful person in character.