I was recently reminded of the time my mother opened a thank-you note from the son of a friend and howled with laughter. It read—in its entirety—”Dear Mr. and Mrs. Graves, thank you for the graduation gift. Love, Steve.”

I sometimes think about young Steve (whose name has been changed to protect his anonymity). I’m sure his mother insisted that he write thank-you notes to the people who gave him graduation gifts, and Steve did what he was told! Recently, however, Steve’s lackluster thanks made me think about my own life. How thankful am I for the abundant gifts God has given me? Am I giving him the equivalent of a one-line thank-you note?

Hebrews 12:28-29 tells us, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. . .”

Fortunately, there are many, many verses in the Bible that teach us to be thankful, and to therefore “worship God acceptably.” (One might deduce that showing gratitude is important!) Many of these verses talk about giving our wholehearted thanks to God. For example, Psalm 9:1 states, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

Other verses mention giving thanks in every circumstance, such as I Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” And Ephesians 5:19-20 instructs us to “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

These verses remind me that I should spend more time every day showing gratitude. Although Steve’s infamously brief thank-you note was penned decades ago, it still serves as a good reminder: be thankful.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6