Did you know there is a difference between thankful and grateful? I was this years old when I figured that out. I even have a wood plaque thinger on my counter in the kitchen that says “Thankful, Grateful, Blessed” It was a gift from a dear friend so I put it up and never really considered the depth of it. I’ve had it for almost 4 years now. I do remember thinking it was a little redundant… silly me.

Thankfulness is often associated with either words or gesture of appreciation.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines thankful as “conscious of benefits received”. It is a conscious act from the person who received the benefits. It can be an automatic response most of the time. Just like a habit, you automatically say thank you to the people who have helped you when you needed it.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines grateful as “appreciative of benefits received”. It is a way of expressing appreciation with or without an act. Grateful is a sense of feeling that happens at a deeper level that comes from within your heart. When you feel grateful for something, you can express your feelings without using words or any physical act. It can be from within.

Have you ever written a grateful note? Nope. It’s a thank you note. The act of writing and sending.
Do you celebrate Gratitudegiving? Nope. Thanksgiving is an act… an event.

Grateful is a feeling while thankful is an act. When someone does something good to you, you feel grateful for him, and you offer your thanks to him as an action.

Colossians 3:12-17 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness,^(Y) humility,^(Z) gentleness,^(AA) and patience,^(AB)13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.^(AC) 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called^(AD) in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,^[d] singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name^(AE) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:12 uses both thankful and gratitude. Paul is telling the church to do and be these things, while the condition of their heart is gratitude.

^{Colossians 4:2} Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
Hebrews tell us to be thankful with the act of worship. We don’t worship to GET all the feels we worship to show our thankfulness to and for God.

As I’ve shared in previous posts the last 3 years have been especially refining. I can know comprehend and the difference between the two. As I focus less on being critical on every thing all the time I find myself more grateful. A critical spirit has been replaced by a grateful spirit. Which is then followed by doing more things out of thankfulness. Like my little plaque says I now see how “blessed” I am more clearly. They all go hand in hand.

The cool part of this picture is whats around it as well. I have my fig tree (yes… I’ll explain that in another post. 😉 ), my little houses stand that reminds me to make becoming a “Bethany House” duplicatable, and flowers from my mom and girls. All reminders of growth and blessings.

I am grateful.