Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

On this day that’s set aside to give thanks, I’m mindful of the many blessings God has given: Jesus, my family and friends, and His provision for my daily needs are high on the list. There’s also His Word and music and sunrises and many, many other things.

Giving thanks on good days isn’t usually difficult. But to give thanks in all circumstances can be a challenge. Sometimes life is just hard and getting through the day is all we can do.

Yet, Paul tells us that God wants us to be thankful in all circumstances. How can we do that?

I think that being thankful is an attitude, a choice about how I respond to my circumstances, whatever they are. This can be a hard choice at times, but we can do it with the Spirit’s help and some perseverance.

I have found a helpful way to turn my thoughts to giving thanks when I start to get overwhelmed by life. I call it Thankful ABCs. I start making an alphabetical list of things I’m thankful for. For example,

A - God’s Abounding love and His Amazing grace

B - The Bible, God’s Word that tells me how much He loves me

C - Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior

I really have to think about some letters. This makes me focus on what I have through Jesus and not on things outside of my control. I don’t usually get very far into the alphabet before my attitude gets adjusted. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to XYZ!

Another help is to take some time to reflect on all God has provided periodically. Meditating on these things regularly makes them easier to remember when life gets tough.

Think About:

• What are you giving thanks for today?

• How can you cultivate an attitude of thankfulness in all circumstances?