Develop a Lifestyle of Thanksgiving
Develop a Lifestyle of Thanksgiving
As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, we begin to take inventory of all the many blessings that the Lord has given to us. It’s a beautiful thing to see people take the entire month of November to post “30 Days of Thankfulness” via Facebook, and I’m not belittling that, but as children of the Most High God, we should always be grateful for His goodness in our lives – 365 days a year.
We should develop a lifestyle of thanksgiving.
Sadly, we all live in a world full of hurt and pain. Each of us experiences tests, trials, and tribulations on a pretty consistent basis. And if we’re not careful, the weights and burdens that we carry can cause us to become discouraged and despondent, rather than appreciative of the Lord’s blessings.
If you are dealing with a circumstance or situation that seems overwhelming, I want to encourage you to practice giving thanks to the Lord on a daily basis rather than saving it up for a certain time of the year.
The Bible tells us to give thanks to God no matter what our circumstances are:
“Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (AMP)
Giving thanks “no matter what the circumstances may be” can be one of the hardest things to do. Yet, it is the very thing that will bring you out of those tests and trials. Besides, the Bible tells us that this type of lifestyle is the will of God!
It is an amazing thing that happens – when you stop focusing on your problems and begin to thank the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness in your life, then you begin to rise up out of those troubles. Your circumstances begin to turn around, and you find yourself with even more to be thankful for!
But you can’t just give thanks once or twice and expect to see a change. Rather, make a habit of remembering all the wonderful things the Lord has done for you. Remind yourself of all the times He’s come through for you. Remind yourself of how He has never failed you, left you alone, nor let you down.
In fact, it would be a great idea for you to just refuse to think about and dwell on your circumstances, and instead choose to be thankful for His many blessings.
The enemy wants to discourage you. He wants you to take your eyes off of the Lord and focus on the negative. He wants to use your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and circumstances to get you out of faith. If he can get you out of faith, if he can get you to fling away your confidence in the Lord, then he’s won.
But if you will learn to give thanks to God in the midst of your situation, if you will keep your eyes on Him and remain in faith, you will always rise up out of trouble. Remember, God always causes you to triumph in Christ Jesus! (2 Corinthians 2:14)
If you need to, start a “gratitude journal” so that you have a written record of all the wonderful things the Lord has done and is doing in your life. Develop a lifestyle of giving thanks – no matter what – and your life will be changed for the better!
