Thanksgiving Always

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing.

Know that the Lord himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His loving kindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalm 100:1-5

Now that November is here and the holiday season is approaching, I am starting the countdown for one of my favorite days of the year – Thanksgiving! I love getting to spend time with extended family at my Aunt Velma’s, playing football at the park, sometimes playing in the snow, making crafts and baking cookies the day before and of course giving thanks.

On Thanksgiving, it’s easy to count our blessings and give our thanks. But what if we did that every day of the month? Or even better, every day of the year? What if instead of telling God about our problems first, we gave thanks for what He has already done?

There are people in every single one of our lives who only come to us when they need us. No matter what the help is, you start to think, “Are they using me or do they truly want a relationship with me?” So often I find myself only praying when I need something or when I need comforted. When everything is going well, it’s easy to forget to read daily scriptures or have that desire to go to church every Sunday.

Of course God will always welcome us into His arms no matter what and wants to comfort us when we are in despair so I am not saying that we shouldn’t go to Him for help; however, let’s try to thank Him first. Thank Him for the good, the bad, the easy, the hard, family, friends, the church, the houses we live in, the music we hear, the ability to see. Really, that list should never end!

There are 3 weeks until Thanksgiving – Until that day, let’s focus on thanking Him for what we have before we ask for more. Let’s make it a habit so we can continue on throughout the year. Write it down in a journal, put it in the notes of your phone, and tell others about your list of gratefulness. Let’s make Thanksgiving more than just a holiday, but a way of life.

“In everything, give thanks.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18