Don’t Let the Thanksgiving End
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!! 1 Chronicles 16:34
The verse above is repeated multiple times throughout the Bible and not once are we told to give thanks only during a certain season of life. Chances are, many of us thought a bit more about what we are thankful for during the past week and maybe, around the dinner table, we even voiced our thankfulness in front of others for the first time this year.
Right now, make a list of the top 10 things you are thankful for and then, in the quiet of where you are, pray...yes, pray. Maybe you are not in the habit of praying or speaking to God, but give it a try today. Just take a moment and give thanks to the Lord for those 10 things.
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to end when the turkey is gone. It can continue on daily. Maybe add to this list daily.
Also, did you know that thankfulness is the enemy of anxiety? Scripture also tells us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and asking God, WITH THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6,7
It seems to me that whenever a worry pops up in our hearts and minds, we need to pray, but mix in with that prayer a whole bunch of thanksgiving. Think about it...what might happen to your mindset and how might you begin to feel if you simply started listing everything you are thankful for and every blessing you have been given every time you were worried? It is not a magic cure for all anxiety, but it is part of the recipe to help. The verse above says that when you pray with thanksgiving, the peace of God will come upon you. Who wouldn’t want that?
One last thing. Many people put a lot of thought into what God might want them to do with their lives. That is an excellent thing to think about, but what if God has already told us what he wants us to do? 1st Thessalonians 5:17,18 tells us to “Be joyful always, pray without ceasing and GIVE THANKS in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
There it is...God’s will...what He wants you to do...GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. Notice he doesn’t say to give thanks FOR all circumstances, but in the midst of them. God knows that thankfulness makes everything more manageable and palatable; and life, with all of its twists and turns and difficult circumstances, can be lived in a more peaceful way when we begin to be more thankful.
So how about it? Don’t let thanksgiving end, but let today be the beginning of a daily life filled with thankfulness to God whose steadfast love FOR YOU endures forever.
Coach Brett
