"Give Thanks"

Happy Sunday - I pray that everyone had a wonderful service today at your place of worship. I did not attend church today, as I had to pick up my mother, but I did "give thanks." As I rode down the highway today, I thought about the many ways that people give thanks: some lift their hands to give thanks, some cry, as they give thanks, and then there are those, who like to cut a step, to give thanks. All those ways, are beautiful in the sight of God. However, as I got into a conversation this weekend with some friends, I realized that a lot of people feel offended when other people try to push them to give thanks and praise beyond how they give the Lord their sincere appreciation. Listen, just because some doesn't give thanks the way someone else gives it, doesn't mean that their thankfulness is any less effective. I've learned, on this journey of Christianity, that it's not the outward accolades that God is most impressed with, it is the sincerity of heart, and how we treat each other, that most moves Him. I love the scripture (I Sam 16:7)..."for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." The reason why I love that scripture, because most people feel like, if you do not praise, or give thanks the way they think you should, then you must not really love the Lord. Well I would like to beg the differ on that judgmental analysis. Your sincere praise or thanks for all that He has done for you, should never be placed on a barometer by another man. You do not owe man any excuse on how you should thank your God. You thank Him according for what He has done for you, and vice versa. Therefore, if your thanks is a quiet thanks, you're still thanking Him. So what are you saying, you may ask? I'm saying, however you choose to give Him thanks, do it from your heart, because that's what He is most impressed with. In closing, I leave you with the words to this song that I sing every now and then: "give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks, because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son...give thanks...."
Peace and Love....