As we enter into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I'm reminded of why we celebrate during this time of year: because we are thankful. We're thankful for the blessings we've been given, for the birth of our Savior, and for the start of a new year.
Having a mindset of thankfulness honors God and acknowledges all that He has given us and done for us.
James 1:17 (NIV) says,
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Many people turn to God in prayer when they’re experiencing a tragedy or crisis, but how many of us acknowledge when the Lord has blessed us? Even if it’s something (seemingly) small, we owe our loving Father our acknowledgement and thanks for how much He cares about even the smallest details of our lives.
Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV),
“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Hence, God wants us to adopt an attitude of gratitude. But it’s not for his benefit that He wants us to give thanks—it’s for ours. When we begin giving thanks for the blessings in our lives, we start to see more and more things to be thankful for!
Yet thankfulness isn’t just beneficial for us spiritually; it’s good for our physical health as well. There’s a growing trend among medical professionals in recommending gratitude journals for patients who are experiencing life-altering or chronic illness, and with good reason. If we’re focused on what we have to be thankful for, as opposed to what we have to mourn, it can be instrumental during the healing process.
In other words, giving thanks is good for us—mind, body, and soul.
So when our schedules begin filling up over the next couple months and busyness and stress start taking their toll, let’s remember to be thankful and pray the prayer of King David in 1 Chronicles 29:10b-13 (NIV):
“Praise be to you, O Lord, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, For everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God we give you thanks, And praise your glorious name.