This is the time of year that people try to be thankful. Some people try to be thankful for just one thing, and others try to have an attitude of thanksgiving in general. Saddly, many forget to be thankful after Thanksgiving, especially with the shift towards Christmas.
Being thankful, though, shouldn’t be just a once a year thing, but instead should be a way of life throughout the year. Why should that be the case? Well, for one thing it makes life more enjoyable. I’ve seen many persons who have an attitude of thanksgiving, and one of the things I’ve noticed about them is that excess stress and depression seems to be absent. When we focus on being thankful, especially for the things that God has done in our lives, then that leaves less room for worry which can cause stress and depression.
I just heard someone talk about the importance of being thankful. They referred to the time that Jesus healed 10 lepers, but only one came back to thank Him. The one that came back to thank Jesus received something more than just a healing, he became whole. The other nine lepers didn’t receive this because they didn’t express thankfulness for the healing Jesus gave them. How many times do we fall short of receiving all that God has for us because we don’t maintain an attitude of thankfulness for what He’s already done for us? For example, when God heals us do we remember to give Him thanks, and to maintain that level of thankfulness for what He’s done, no matter how little or seemingly insignificant it may seem, or do we start exhibiting doubt or an ungrateful attitude? The person I heard yesterday mentioned how that she focused on being thankful for each and every little sign of improvement she saw with her back, instead of paying attention and focusing on the pain and discomfort she was still getting from it, and as a result she received healing for her back and hasn’t experienced any problems ever since for over several years. Sometimes we think that healing should be immediate, but many times it takes place over a period of time. If this person didn’t focus on the improvement she was seeing, no matter how small it was, how many of you think that she would probably still be suffering with a bad back to this day? I think she would be, and I wonder how many times we fall short of receiving all that God has for us because we focus more on what we don’t have, or what circumstances and others say, or even what our bodies are telling us, instead of what God says, and more importantly, being thankful for every thing He’s doing on our behalf.
So, remember to be thankful not just during this time of year, but throughout the year. Develope an attitude of thankfulness, especially for what God has and is doing in your life. If you struggle with being critical, judgmental, or even being skeptical and pessimistic towards situations and events, all of which blocks what God is wanting to do in our lives, then developing an attitude of thankfulness as a way of life will go a long way to overcome tendencies of being critical, judmental or even being skeptical. Try it, you may find that you like the life you have as a result of this over the one that you’re currently experiencing.
God bless, and remember to be thankful for all the blessings He’s done in your life, starting with the salvation He provides for us through His only son, Jesus, and Him alone.
Copyright 2012 – John Johansson
