Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
We certainly have plenty of things we could be anxious about in 2021. Our health…our economy…our livelihood. It’s so easy to reflect on, and sometimes dwell on the things that we don’t have, or issues that are concerning us..
Think of all we have to be grateful for though! Are we sleeping in a tent? No. Do we have others around us to love & care for…while they do the same for us? Clothes on our back…food in our stomachs? Netflix on the television?
Thanksgiving is becoming the forgotten holiday. It’s the precursor to Black Friday. For me, it’s a call to bring out all those Christmas decorations again. I LOVE anything Christmas! Thanksgiving seems to just get lost in the shuffle though.
Thanksgiving is more than just the last Thursday in November. Perhaps it’s our call to be grateful in all things. Can we be thankful when things are not going our way? When we are not happy with what’s happening in our life? That’s what God asks of us.
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1Thessalonians 5:19 (NIV)
It’s not always easy to have a grateful heart. It’s a mindset! Try NOT to smile when thinking about the loving (and silly) friends & relatives God has placed in our life. When they’re neglecting us or driving us nuts, be thankful that they are even in our life! They’ve made a difference, even if just giving us a different outlook on things. Life would be pretty dull if we all thought about & cared about the exact same issues!
Most importantly, we are always thankful we are sons & daughters of a mighty & glorious God who loves us and looks out for us even when life is tough. When I know God with me, I can react to life positively despite my current circumstances.
Maybe we don’t feel full of thanksgiving right at this moment. Then just fake it! Having a grateful heart can be very contagious. Next thing we know, we’ll be believing what we thought we were just pretending.
Feeling grateful also has a tendency to make us want to give back. We’ve been so blessed, we want to share it with others. Isn’t that the way God made us? We serve a very generous God…and we were made in His image. Maybe that’s why giving makes us feel so good!
Then giving can become just one more reason to have a grateful heart.
Dear Lord,
This is the time of year that we put being thankful on our calendar. Remind us to have a grateful heart the whole year long.
Sure. We could complain if we wanted to. Remind us also that being thankful keeps our focus on who and what is good & blessed in our life. That’s the way You designed us to live.
Most importantly, we are thankful You created us. You put us on this earth to be both givers and gracious recipients of all You’ve made available to us.
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