Be Thankful

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High."

Psalm 92:1

       Typically November is the time that everyone espouses "Be Thankful",  but for us every day should be one of thankfulness.  Webster's dictionary has the definition of thank to mean to express gratitude and gratitude means the state of being grateful.  Finally, grateful means appreciative of benefits received.  So for us to be thankful or grateful we are to be appreciative of the benefits we have received.  The benefits of God are many and when we stop for but a moment we can see some of the those benefits in the creation around us.  The bright sunshine and colorful flowers blooming on a summer day.  The cool rain refreshing the earth.   If we dig deeper still, we see the benefits; our life, our families, and our health.  For each of these,  we are to be thankful every day.  

        1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  There are two key words in that verse, the words "in" and "all".   Give thanks IN, not give thanks when, or give thanks for, or give thanks later.  It says to give thanks 'in',  our location or position.   We are to give thanks in the hard and sticky times, in the easy peasy lemon squeezy times,  ALL times. We are to give thanks in ALL circumstances, not just the circumstances that everything is going along hunky dory and living is easy.  We are to give thanks in the ugly crying times and the life is really not great times too.  

        Paul knew how to do this.  He had the life of privilege prior to his conversion but when he was changed in his soul by Christ, his life changed too.  His proclamations to the crowds about Jesus made him an unsavory person to the Jews, they thought he was stirring up trouble.  He was thrown in prison, not once but several times.  In each of those circumstances, Paul was thankful and joyful. This is how I need to be so I look at today with thankfulness.  I am thankful I have a family that loves me.  I am thankful for my friends who have shown kindness in a hard time.  I am thankful I have food to eat, a house to live in, and my faith in Jesus Christ.  Those are all I need.   I don't need those things that bring me down.  I don't need to have anything but those benefits which I have received from God and to show my appreciation for them.   When we change our attitude to one of thankfulness then life doesn't seem as hard.  When we change our attitude to one of thankfulness we are seeing the benefits God has provided for us.  "Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:20) .  Have an "attitude of gratitude" today and every day.

"And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name."

1 Chronicles 29:13