Thankfulness is a Key to Happiness

The year before Linda and I married, I lived in a tiny second-floor apartment near the hospital where I was working.  My downstairs neighbor was an elderly gentleman, Lloyd Wood, who lived there by himself.  I would see him sometimes as I was leaving for work or returning home.  I’d see him take walks on days when the weather permitted.  What struck me most about Lloyd was the sweetness of his spirit.  He seemed to see life and all that was in it as beautiful.  He didn’t have to see life that way.  He lived alone.  His wife had passed away years earlier.  He had no children.  He didn’t have many visitors.  But when I crossed paths with Lloyd, I would think, “I want to see life that way.  I wonder how that happened for him.” 

Then, early one morning, I found out.  I was still in bed, somewhere between dreamland and reality.  The building was very quiet, but in the stillness of those waking up moments, I heard something.  I heard a voice which, of course, concerned me, at least a little.  After listening in stillness a while longer, I realized I was hearing my downstairs neighbor’s voice.  Lloyd was praying.  I couldn’t understand many of the words, but I could hear the melody of his voice.  He was giving thanks.  Lloyd was praising God.  He began his day by blessing the Lord and remembering his many benefits.  I believe the way Lloyd practiced gratitude was the source of his happy life.  The scriptures challenge us to…

(1 Thessalonians 5:18) Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Don’t misunderstand.  Paul isn’t saying that you are supposed to enjoy all circumstances or do nothing to change bad circumstances.  He’s not even saying that every circumstance in which you find yourself is what God wants for you.  What he’s saying is that because you belong to Jesus, because you have the strength and security of being God’s beloved child, find a reason to thank God in every situation.  That holy habit, that spiritual discipline, that cultivated attitude of thankfulness will bring you happiness. 

If you use a computer, you’ve probably faced the challenge of remembering passwords.  You have this powerful machine ready to do amazing things for you, but you can’t remember which of your pets or grandchildren or favorite sports teams you used to create that password you just knew you could never forget.  The password opens the door (or the Windows) for great things to happen. 

When Eugene Petersen translated Psalm 100 for The Message paraphrase, listen to how he rendered verse 4,

(Psalm 100:4, Msg) Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
         Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him.

 Worship him.

The password for entering into God’s presence, the place where you know you’re loved, where you find forgiveness, where you remember what matters, where you renew your strength, the password to that place is “Thank you!”

You build happiness on the inside with an attitude of thankfulness.