Thanksgiving simply means to give thanks; however, here in America we celebrate a National Holiday which we call Thanksgiving Day. I love it; however, I also know that every day is a good day to give thanks.
Ephesians 5:19-20 tells you to, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Everything? Yes, so the question is, are you thankful no matter what?
Perhaps COVID 19 or some other unexpected event caused you to lose your job recently. Or maybe you have lost your health, or a loved one. Such circumstances can be tremendously difficult. But even so, we all still have much to be thankful for.
The late great Billy Graham once said, “Thanksgiving, the giving of thanks to God for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ. We must not allow a spirit of ingratitude to harden our heart and chill our relationship with God and with others. Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness.”
The Bible also tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” This tells me that no matter what is going on in the world, we should have an attitude of gratitude. What? Yes, we should always have a grateful attitude!
“Gratitude” …the quality of being thankful and ready to show appreciation for. THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS!!!
And yes, I know that recent times have been tough for many of us and these up and coming Holidays may be even tougher; however, remember to pause and take inventory of your blessings and give thanks, knowing that the good outweighs the bad!
Reverend Paul Jones sang a song titled I Won’t Complain and it went like this: “I’ve had some good days, I’ve had some hills to climb, I’ve had some weary days, and some lonely nights, but when I look around, and I think things over, all of my good days, out-weigh my bad days, I won’t complain…”
Remember to keep your head up and be thankful every day!
God bless you,
Pastor Cooper
– Adrian is a life-long Waxahachie native. He is the pastor of Waxahachie Life Church and the owner of Future Generations Christian Child Care Center. He is passionate about the youth in our communities, and believes that investing in them is investing in the future. He and his wife, Marquita are raising 4 handsome boys.
