Page 18 - BMIN191 Beginnning Internship

18 Beginning Ministerial Internship: Student Manual

passed not only from him, but from his descendants as well. In their place, a new
king was chosen—David, a man known for his thankful heart.
The simplicity of David’s love and relationship with God spilled over to the
collection of psalms. For David, his job was to behold what God was doing!
When good things came, David gave God the credit, the glory. When heartache
or disappointment came, David knew his hope was in God, and when a battle
ended in victory, David’s first reaction was to praise His Deliverer.

6 How does a thankful heart A thankful heart is one that sees God not only in times of blessing, but is
see God in times of hardship? aware of His presence in every challenge. Too often ministers will rely on their
own resources until all strength is gone. This is when the needy one looks up. But
a thankful heart anticipates the hand of God and begins addressing difficulty by
calling unto God. Simply put, if you look to yourself in times of trouble, you will
have little motive for thanksgiving when relief finally emerges.
A thankful heart guides others to thankfulness as well. When a minister
credits God for the events of his or her life, those who follow will cultivate the
same habit. As with honor and obedience, the evidence of a thankful heart in
a minister’s life may be most clearly seen by those whom the minister leads.
The minister’s thankful heart will begin to be imitated by those under his or
her influence. Whether through word, attitude, or behavior, a thankful heart
is contagious. And God wants this side of a leader’s heart to be seen, by all.
Thanksgiving is not reserved for the inner man, but is intended as outward
expressions to be heard by all peoples (Psalm 57:9).
The Demonstration
A thankful heart manifests with an overflow of joy. When an individual lives
with a thankful heart, that person maintains a keen sense of God’s presence—here
is the source of the joyful spirit. David possessed such a heart at each stage age of
his life. In Psalm 9, David lifts up praises to God for the presence of joy in his life;
he knew that the reason for his praise was God’s faithfulness (Psalm 9:1–2).
A thankful heart generates from the trust one has in God. The person who
maintains an awareness of God’s presence and activity in daily living finds many
opportunities to demonstrate trust in God. Thus, thankful becomes an automatic
response to living.
The Necessity
The best evidence of a need for a thankful heart is the fruit that is seen when
it is missing. A lack of thankfulness will send an individual down many potential
paths, none of which brings honor to God.
A lack of thankfulness can grow into an ungrateful spirit. Such a spirit is unable
to recognize the real source of all blessings, while taking for granted the works and
acts of God. A minister’s life and demeanor ought to point to God in a way that
brings Him glory. An ungrateful heart offers no potential for joy to those who follow.
7 How do self-reliance and Of course, the pitfalls of an unthankful heart grow even deeper. If we do not
pride emerge when we are cultivate a thankful heart, we can drift into self-reliance and pride. After all, if we
not thankful? cannot recognize the hand of God in our lives, we have little explanation for our
ability to do good other than to think more highly of ourselves. A thankful heart
takes the focus off the minister in times of blessings and calls attention to God,
the true source of blessing.
Finally, a heart that lacks thankfulness will ultimately bury itself more deeply
in sin. Without thanksgiving in times of blessing, times of difficulty are more
overwhelming. Failure to acknowledge God will shrivel faith and magnify