For the past several months during our morning family devotional time, we’ve been going around the circle and each naming one thing that we’re thankful for that morning. The answers tend to be predictable and not terribly thoughtful or creative; we’re not all awake in the morning, and believe it or not, my children can be flippant at times. So they say: “sleep” or “my family” or “my house” or “my bed” or “Z-baby.” (I told you we were still sleepy.)

One of the urchins has lodged a protest; he thinks that the morning exercise in gratitude is forced and not really conducive to true thankfulness. He further says that we should save the naming of things that we appreciate for once a year, Thanksgiving Day. Somehow, naming the things we are thankful for daily devalues the sense of gratitude, according to Mr. Thankful-But-Not-Wanting-To-Say-So-Daily.

I disagree. Even if the things we name are trivial, and even if the gratitude we feel each morning is not always profound, just thinking about thankfulness each morning is an exercise that can, with time and persistence, produce a heart of gratitude. Like many, many other things in parenting and discipling my children, I can only compel the outward display of Christian virtue. The Holy Spirit must supply the inward change. So, I can require the children, or myself, to memorize Bible verses; I cannot change their hearts, or even my own, to make us want to obey the precepts in those verses. Does this mean the memorization is useless? No, it means that it is only a beginning, a turning toward that which is right and good; God can use the words of Scripture to change my attitudes and my behaviour.

Other examples:
I can require them to do math; I can’t make them love math or see its beauty as a reflection of the order that God has built into the universe.

I can compel outward obedience; I can’t compel an attitude of unselfish service.

I can make myself exercise; I can’t make myself enjoy the process.

I can make myself read the Bible; I can’t force myself to receive any benefit or blessing from doing so.

Disciplines, of gratitude or physical exercise or obedience or math, may lead to dull, spiritless habit, a glazing over of the spirit as the eyes lose their spark when we are bored or the same disciplines may lead to joy —joy in math or joy in physical activity or joy in thankfulness. Much depends on our attitudes and expectations about discipline itself, and much more depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit within the believer.

For all the blessings we have received and for all that we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful.
In the meantime, we’ll keep on practicing.