The Power and Perspective of Being Thankful

On the eve of our traditional last Thursday in November we call Thanksgiving, I find myself thinking more and more about what I have to be thankful for. Unfortunately, the holiday only provides mixed reviews regarding how many actually stop and tell God and others how thankful we are for them and our many blessings we enjoy.

But rather than urge you and myself to add some Hallmark Card or other touching moments to our gatherings ((anybody remember The Saturday Evening Post images?),  I want to remind us all of how important being thankful is all year long as a natural and regular part of life.

Thankfulness has the potential to offset the challenges and sometimes overwhelming negative emotions that life also throws our way. In fact, today some of you are in the middle of rather gloomy or even dark hours and days because of loss, finances, relationship challenges, illness or a host of other struggles.

Your Thanksgiving holiday isn’t looking too bright and you’re not feeling very appreciative of much right now.

Well, I’m not suggesting that the holiday or a more thankful spirit will take all your mountains away, but thankfulness can help soothe the hurts and provide some hope about moving forward rather than staying stuck in our hardships.

A recent University of Pennsylvania study had participants write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness. They found that the participants immediately exhibited a huge increase in their overall happiness. The impact was greater than that from any other intervention, with the results lasting for a month or more.

But long before current studies, God included in his guidelines for life thankfulness as a natural and important ingredient for happiness and peace.

For example, Colossians 3:15 begins, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . and be thankful.” Verse 16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . .  as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart to God.

Verse 17, “And whatever you do in word of deed,  do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Even our prayers are to have thanks as part of their foundation.  Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Most of the time it’s not that hard to find things to be thankful for but it is challenging to have gratitude when life’s hard.

However, when life’s going well, that’s all the more reason to add  more thankful deposits to your emotional bank account. And maybe this holiday weekend is at least one good time to do that. Whenever and however you add more thanksgiving to your personal health, enjoy those moments.

Think about how blessed you still are. In fact, let me leave you with some areas to explore, ponder and embrace where those blessings probably reside for us all. My hunch is that you and I might get a lump in our throat or tear in our eye when we realize things, people or opportunities we have that are pretty amazing.

Health, children or grandchildren, challenges overcome this year, our home, God’s work in our lives or the lives of loved one, safety, friends, our church, our job or the provision of a new one, educational opportunities, teachers and leaders in our world, food to eat, care from others, medical personnel who’ve helped us, neighbors, a spouse or significant other.

Not all of that list will have positives to rejoice over I know. But thankfulness is a key antidote and antibiotic to keep life’s disappointments and struggles from dominating our minds and stopping us from enjoying what we’ve been given.

Take a minute somewhere this weekend and write out or at least mentally think through your list. It will be worth it and just might change your whole outlook on the holiday and frankly this next year. Even if your football team doesn’t win or your weird uncle actually shows up.