Every year, we approach this season of “Thanksgiving”. We meet together with family, watch football, and avoid that relative that always has to bring up the controversial debate topic (or maybe that’s us). For some it’s a “family” time, for others it’s a time of remembrance for what God has done for us, for some it’s both. The theme of the season though is thankfulness.
For most of us, thankfulness is something that we do, which really fits in with the taking a day each year, but for the Christ follower, it should be a way of life. All over God’s Word, he speaks of thankfulness. Psalm 69:30 says that I will “glorify Him with thanksgiving”. In other words, the way I glorify God is to point out the work He’s doing (His glory) here and to thank Him for it. We sing to thank Him when we gather together (Psalm 147:7; Psalm 69:30) In 2 Corinthians 9, the writer tells us that God gives us everything we have so we can, out of thankfulness for what we do have (not bitterness for what we don’t) be generous with those things to others, and THAT very generosity will result in thankfulness to God. In every request of God, we should ask with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). If “in everything” missed anything, there’s one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (emphasis added). The greatest thing to be thankful for is that Jesus who allows us to reconnect with God and to know what life is meant to be. The Bible, a collection of 66 books, written by 40 different writers over a period of 2000 years, without consultation between authors, simply inspired by God Himself, just drips with the message “Hey BE thankful.”
It’s amazing the pain that people can get used to, we adjust and adapt, as a God given ability to survive, but at the same time, we adjust the other way. It’s amazing the blessings that we can get used to and overlook. In fact, we don’t usually realize they are there until they are gone.
As you approach Thanksgiving, don’t just take a moment for thankfulness, but commit to live in thankfulness all throughout the next year. Get a post it note and write something you can be thankful for each day and stick it on your desk. I have a friend who starts each day posting on Facebook something he’s thankful for. Get creative, but resign to live a life that is thankful...you will find that a thankful life is better than a demanding one, and everyone might enjoy you better this Thanksgiving as well.
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