Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love the smell of the turkey, good eats, the parade, and watching football. Family and friends gather together with one purpose – to be thankful! We should be grateful for more than just one day a year. We should practice gratitude all year long.
Thankfulness is the spiritual discipline of noticing the good in the world around you, then appreciating it. Learning to notice the good takes practice.
Sometimes we get caught up in seeing what needs to be fixed or what predicament must be prevented, making it harder to notice the good around us. Thankfully, you become more aware of the good every time you practice gratitude. Your focus shifts from the negative to the positive. You get positive feedback – it feels good to be grateful. You connect with God, who is the source of all goodness. You don’t need to look for big miraculous things to be thankful for. Find pleasure in a sunny day, a friendly smile or the sound of children laughing and playing.
What does it mean to have gratitude? It is a positive sentiment. It’s about concentrating on what’s good in our lives and being thankful for what God has given us. Gratitude is pausing to be aware and appreciate things we often take for granted, like having a place to live, food, clean water, friends, family, and even computer access.
How do we practice gratitude? Take the time to notice good things, look for them, and appreciate them. Ponder and pay attention to the good parts of your life. Express your gratitude to yourself, write it down, or thank someone. Research shows that people who practice being grateful show significantly higher happiness and levels of psychological well-being. They are less depressed, anxious, and stressed and reported fewer physical pain symptoms. They have more success at work and have higher se
lf-esteem.
It’s all a matter of your perspective. Before you go to bed every night, try to think of three good things to be thankful for and write them down. Before you know it, you will see the power of having a grateful heart.
What does God say about gratitude?
- “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24
- “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
115 verses in the Bible talk about being thankful. As Christians, we know God is sovereign and in control. He is in control of every aspect of our lives. He sent His son to pay the price for our sins, and we can be thankful for those two things.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
