“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17).
2020 has been a time of great disturbance, confusion, and uncertainty – and as we near the end of the year, it doesn’t look like the tumultuous events will be letting up anytime soon. There are many things that we feel grieved and worried about. So you may be wondering, what is there to be thankful for in this Thanksgiving season?
Being thankful is always appropriate, no matter what is going on in the world. Take a look around you. Blessings abound – the laughter of children, the beauty of a glorious sunset, the comfort of a warm bed at night. Small and great, there are plenty of reasons for all of us to look up at Heaven and say to our Creator, “Thank you.”
Did you know that the Bible says to give thanks in all circumstances, not just when things are going well for you? “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Therefore, if you choose to grumble and complain instead, you are being disobedient to God.
If you have trouble thinking of something to be thankful for, just imagine things disappearing from your life, one at a time, never to return. Many times we don’t appreciate things until they are gone, so picturing what life would be like without certain things may inspire a renewed appreciation for what you have.
In the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, here are ten more suggestions of things to be thankful for:
- The job I have to go to every day… because it means I’m earning a living.
- My clothes which are a little too tight… because it means I have more than enough to eat.
- Windows that need cleaning and walls that need painting… because it means I have a home.
- The parking spot I find at the far end of the lot… because it means I’m able to walk.
- My heating and cooling bills… because it means I am comfortable.
- All the complaints I hear about our government… because it means we have freedom of speech.
- The lady behind me in church who sings off key… because it means that I can hear.
- The messes I have to clean up… because it means my loved ones are nearby.
- The piles of laundry I have to do… because it means my family has plenty of clothes to wear.
- The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours… because it means that I woke up to live another day.
This Thanksgiving, I hope you will pause to give thanks for all of these things and more. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God…will guard your hearts and minds” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Happy Thanksgiving!