Give Thanks
I was tempted to call this this blog An attitude of gratitude but as i was wrapped up in my thoughts i felty compelled to the idea of Giving Thanks that is so profoundly powerful and appeals to me.
Gratitude and Thankfulness are not limited to emotions that we experience from time to time, but are choices we make and gifts that we can give. The Psalmist in the bible has taught me the key element of giving thanks even in tough season.
As we are in the spirit of Thanks giving its important we understand that Thanks giving should be on our lips all the time, thanksgiving should be practiced daily and not just to be left until its November when we celebrate thanksgiving. To me it’s a way of life. Thanksgiving all year around. I wish I had known this in my earlier years as a believer. When I started my walk with the Lord I was in so much pain and filled with anger from all the events that were happening in my life that there was nothing on my prayer list to thank God for but just a list of my needs.
I am sure many of you can identify with me. Or even as you are reading this blog. However as the years have been progressing with lots of teachings and studding the scriptures, I have learned to master the art of giving thanks.
And that’s why thanksgiving should not be left until November but rather it should be on our lips every day. Psalm 100:4 says “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. KJV” I wish I had known this in my earlier years as a believer.
We live in a stress-filled, sleep-deprived, burned out world. In fact, for many, thanksgiving itself is one of the most stressful days of the year. And that’s ironic, because the answer to thanksgiving stress is right there in the word itself. Miracles are happening all the time around us and even through us, but many times we are not aware of it because of our busy schedules and the to-do-list sheet that’s hanging on our fridge doors.
Jesus lived His life always being aware of the free favor of God, He lived a life poured out, yet He never ran out. The key to this way of life was His ability to be thankful. How often do we thank God for the free things He has graciously blessed us with? Our lives, that our bodies are functioning, that you are alive, you can see, touch, feel, hear, walk without support, you are able to see and enjoy the vegetation, you have fresh air, you woke up today, you could open your eyes, you can inhale and exhale freely your heartbeat is intact, that you can go to the beach and enjoy the vast of ocean extra, extra there is always, always something to be thankful for. In many scriptures we learn that before Jesus would go out doing His heavenly Father business, the bible tells us of the times he took to prayer early in the mornings and late at night. Prayer was His way to communicate with His Father.
Many people know or have heard of the miracle of Jesus feeding five thousand people with just but five loaves and two fish its recorded in the gospel of Luke 9:10-17. In verse 16 we see Jesus taking the five loaves and the two fish and looked up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave to the disciples to distribute to the people. Verse 17 we learn that they all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces that were left over.
How often do we thank God for the little that we have? I know 2020 has been a different year and maybe not just this year particularly but your life has been filled with giants that you don’t see what to be thankful for. I want to encourage you to give thanks of your situation. Whatever it is that looks like what the disciples felt over five loaves and merely two fish and felt it was not enough, but when the Master took it and gave thanks it became sufficient.
Whatever it is that you feel its little give it to God and see how he will use it. When you sit still and look within you will see how the grace of God has been sufficient for you somehow in some ways even in your lowest, moments even with what you feel it’s little.
How can we do it? Easy you can practice thanksgiving into your life through habit stacking, creating a healthy new habit by “stacking” it onto an existing habit. For instance: Think of three things you are thankful for while brushing your teeth or during some other part of your morning or nighttime routine. It doesn’t have to be about something big or life-changing. It can be a thanksgiving for your morning coffee, or a random interaction with someone who made us smile that day, or a piece of nature on the way to work. Or it can be simply a thanks giving for being alive
When we learn to give thanks for the little that we have, we may not see an abundance all at once, but what we will experience is there will always be more than enough. What are you thankful for today? Be thankful.
HAPPY THANKS GIVING!!!!!