The Power of Thankfulness! Becoming an Instrument in God’s Hands.

How Gratitude, Faith, and Family Build a Lasting Legacy

Living with Gratitude in Uncertain Times

The world today feels increasingly unpredictable from shifting economies and cultural changes to the daily pressures of raising children in a digital age. Many parents wonder, “How can I guide my family through such uncertain times?”

The answer may begin with something simple yet powerful: thankfulness.

The story of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:9–10 reminds us that gratitude and faith can change the direction of an entire family line. Jabez prayed,

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory… and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”

In one prayer, he turned a life of pain into a legacy of blessing. He didn’t just ask for comfort, he asked God to expand his influence and purpose. Thankfulness was the key that opened the door to that transformation.

1. Thankfulness Starts with Recognizing the Source

“Every good and perfect gift is from above…” — James 1:17

Gratitude is more than a feeling, it's a perspective. When we teach our children to see every blessing, every meal, every answered prayer as a gift from God, we are building a foundation of faith that will carry them through uncertainty.

• A thankful home is a peaceful home.
  
  
• Gratitude redirects focus from fear to faith.
  
  
• When families acknowledge God as the source, they remain grounded even when the world shakes.
  
  

Parenting Tip:
Make gratitude a daily rhythm. Ask your children each night, “What are three things you’re thankful for today?” This simple habit cultivates spiritual awareness and emotional stability.

2. Thankfulness Enlarges Our Vision as Parents

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think…” — Ephesians 3:20

When Jabez asked God to “enlarge my territory,” he was asking for a bigger vision, not just more land, but a greater purpose.

As parents, gratitude helps us see beyond the chaos of the moment. It reminds us that God is working even in the hard seasons  through late nights, tough conversations, or uncertain transitions.

How gratitude enlarges our parental vision:

• It helps us see potential instead of problems in our children.
  
  
• It teaches us to celebrate small victories instead of focusing on failures.
  
  
• It opens our hearts to God’s bigger plan for our family even when we don’t understand the details.
  
  

Family Practice:
At dinner, talk about  ‘God’s fingerprints’  where each family member saw God at work that day. You’ll start noticing His hand in ways you never did before. 

3. Thankfulness Strengthens Family Legacy

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” — Joshua 24:15

A grateful family leaves a mark that outlives them. When thankfulness becomes the culture of a home, it transforms how future generations think, pray, and lead.

Your family can become an instrument in God’s hands, a living testimony that faith still works, that prayer still changes things, and God still blesses those who trust Him.

Ways families can build God’s legacy:

• Serve together: Volunteer as a family at church, in your neighborhood, or at a local shelter. Service breeds gratitude.
  
  
• Worship together: Make prayer and worship part of your routine, not just Sunday mornings.
  
  
• Speak blessings: Use your words to build, not break. Speak life over your children and remind them of God’s promises.
  
  

“If anyone cleanses himself… he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the Master.” — 2 Timothy 2:21

4. Parenting Through Uncertainty with Thankfulness

When the world feels unstable, thankfulness gives families a spiritual anchor. It reminds us that:

• God’s promises don’t change, even when circumstances do.
  
  
• Gratitude helps our children focus on what God is doing instead of what the world is saying.
  
  
• Thankful parents raise hopeful children and hope is the antidote to fear.
  
  

Practical Ways to Model Thankfulness:

1. Pray out loud: Let your children hear you thank God, not just for big blessings, but for ordinary things.
   
   
2. Keep a gratitude journal: Write down family prayers and the ways God answers them.
   
   
3. Celebrate small miracles: Thank God for the little wins – a good grade, a healed heart, or a moment of laughter – after a hard day.
   
   

5. When Families Live Thankfully, God Enlarges Their Territory

Just like Jabez, when families live with gratitude and surrender, God increases their influence, not always in wealth or comfort, but in spiritual value and impact.

A thankful family becomes a light in dark times, a model of peace, unity, and joy. That’s what it means to have your territory enlarged – to be used by God in order to touch lives beyond your home.

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16

Action Steps for Families

1. Create a Family Gratitude Wall
   Hang a whiteboard or corkboard where everyone writes what they’re thankful for each week. Watch how perspective shifts over time.
   
   
2. Pray the Jabez Prayer Together
   Once a week, gather and pray 1 Chronicles 4:10 as a family asking God to bless, enlarge, guide, and protect your household.
   
   

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,
We thank You for every blessing, the ones we see and the ones we don’t. In uncertain times, help our families remain rooted in gratitude. Enlarge our territory Lord - expand our faith, our influence, and our vision.
Make our homes instruments of Your peace and love. May our children walk boldly in Your promises and carry forward a legacy of faith.
Use our family to reflect Your light in a world that needs hope.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

💫 Final Thought

Thankfulness isn’t just a response to blessing, it's a lifestyle that invites God to work through us. When families choose gratitude over fear, and faith over doubt, they become living testimonies of God’s goodness vessels in His great legacy of love.

Author: Priscilla Campbell

Editor:  Christine Platt