Make A Thankful Attitude a Priority
With the month of November, the holiday season1 is fast approaching and it’s a time where many people begin to focus on ways to develop a thankful attitude as they prepare for Thanksgiving.
Although there are many Bible verses that remind us we are to always be thankful, sometimes we get so busy with our daily lives that remembering to be thankful falls to the bottom of our priority list. As a result, by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, we may find that we are behind on filling our “thankfulness quota” because we have not been living with a thankful attitude.
. . .in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (AMP)
Choose to Develop a Thankful Attitude
So how can someone go about developing a thankful attitude not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the year? It can be hard work, but it can (and should) be done.
To begin with, we must choose to be thankful, even when we don’t feel thankful.
It can be a daunting undertaking to be (and feel) thankful when we are facing the mundane tasks of just living each day. We have responsibilities to keep, challenges to face, and expectations to meet.
Our lives may be in chaos leaving us overwhelmed from overwork and overcommitment, illness (both our own and loved ones), or other tragic circumstances we may be facing (loss of a loved one, financial woes, strained or broken relationships, etc.)
Not to mention, the mess that surrounds us in our global world: wars, political upheaval, natural disasters, and the horrors mankind inflicts on each other with mass shootings, bombings, or other forms of terrorism.
All these things can lead us to feel more fearful and frustrated rather than thankful.
This is when we must make our choice. We must look in every corner of our lives and find the things that we are thankful for and give thanks. Not just at Thanksgiving, but all the time.
Five Ways to Develop a Thankful Attitude
1. Begin with thanking and praising God.
For non-Christians this may prove difficult, but for Christians, we should be thanking and praising God for who He is and all He has given and done for us. All we need to do is read through His Word (The Bible) to find reasons to be thankful.
God is our Creator. He created the heaven and earth and everything in it, (Genesis 1:1). He created man in His own image. (Genesis 1:26-27), made us a little lower than the angels, crowned us with glory and honor (Psalm 8:3-6, Hebrews 2:7-8). And we are His masterpiece!
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
His love for us is unconditional and unlimited and, in addition, He is faithful, just, trustworthy, merciful, and gracious. When we face challenges, He is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1). When we’re afraid, He upholds us with his righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). At our lowest and loneliest times, He promises never to leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).
He provides us salvation for all our sins through Jesus Christ, His Son, (John 3:16), He fills us with His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12), and our hope is in Him for all eternity! (1 John 5:13-14, 1 Peter 1:3-6).
The list is endless. If you’re having difficultly being thankful, keep searching His Word until one of His Truth’s sparks your heart back to life and watch (and feel) the thankfulness spill out.
2. Be grateful for the people in your life.
Be grateful for family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and even strangers you meet by chance each day.
God puts people in our lives for a reason, some for a lifetime, some for a moment or a season. Some of these people bring a smile to our face just by being in their presence. Others not so much. Be thankful for both.
Those that bring us joy remind us to be thankful for the things both big and small.
The person who is not so joyful can remind us that even with what we don’t have, we often find that God provides what we need. Perhaps he can use us to fill a need someone else has—that should make us thankful as well. It’s nice to be needed and feel useful.
So be thankful for the people in your life. Be grateful for the encouragement, love, and acceptance they give. Be glad that you’re not alone—and if you feel you are alone, remember you aren’t. Jesus, reminded us of that in John 16:32 and Matthew 28:20:
Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. John 16:32b (NIV)
. . . And surely I am with you always. . . Matthew 28:20 (NIV)
3. Practice thanksgiving every day.
Make it a point to find something to be thankful for every day. For instance, if you woke up today, then remember the adage, “God is not finished with me yet.”
. . . being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
Praise God for the beauty in His creation: the sun, the moon, stars, rain, snow, flowers, trees, etc. What can be more peaceful than listening to waves crashing onto shore at the beach or hearing a babbling brook meandering through the mountains?
Notice the everyday “snapshots” of life all around you. These “snapshots” can spark joy and happiness, or even bittersweet sadness. Examples of “snapshots” might be watching the innocence of a toddler as he discovers the world around him, the exuberant joy of a pet greeting you at the door when you come home, or the gentle hug of someone who knows you just need a reminder that someone cares.
There are so many reminders of God’s presence all around us in people, places, and things. So, be alert. Look around. Notice things. Be thankful for the ordinary as well as the extra-ordinary.
4. Thank God for meeting your needs.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:25-34 to not worry about food, clothes, or other needs in our life because God will provide. So, we should be grateful for what He provides — it could be our job which allows us to pay for food, clothes, and shelter; medical care that helps us maintain our health which allows us to work; or even mission-minded people and organizations that provide for those who can’t work, don’t have shelter, and need clothes. If we try hard enough, we can think of so many physical or material things that meet our needs—we should be thankful for these.
And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (AMP)
5. Consider keeping a gratitude journal.
Whether you like to write or not, consider keeping a gratitude journal. Make it as simple or as detailed as you like. At the end of each day write down three things you’re thankful for from the day’s events. It might be a person who made an impact on your life, a good report from a doctor’s visit, a worshipful experience with your church family, etc. Or it might be that much needed parking space in just-the-right-place, that cup of coffee you had to start your day, or that post-it note of appreciation someone left on your computer at work.
When you’re having a difficult time finding an attitude of thankfulness, looking back through your gratitude journal can remind you of just how much you have to be thankful for.
We are Blessed
Once you have adopted a thankful attitude you will begin to realize that as people, we are blessed. As children of God, we are truly blessed — once we’ve decided to receive Christ as our Savior and Lord, that is something that cannot be taken away!
So, decide today to work on developing a thankful heart in spite of what your circumstances may be. And practice being thankful every day, not just on Thanksgiving.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We thank you so much, Father, for the wonderful blessings you give us each and every day that we take for granted. Help us to open our eyes, look around, and be alert to these blessings. Give us a compassionate and grateful heart.
With all you’ve given us, the greatest gift of all was Your Son, Jesus Christ, who became flesh and went to the cross bearing the weight of our sins. With His crucifixion He paid the price we couldn’t pay. And with His resurrection, He gave us the victory over death bringing us the eternal hope of salvation and making those of us who receive Him as our Savior a permanent part of the Family of God.
How awesome and wonderful this gift is! Please burden our hearts to share this truth with those who don’t know You. Give us the opportunity, the courage, and the obedience to tell others about You.
May we enter this holiday season with a thankful attitude and carry it with us throughout each day.
We praise You and thank You and ask these things in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Footnote
1 Per Wikipedia, in the United States, the holiday season “is generally considered to begin with the day after Thanksgiving and end after New Year’s Day”.
Resources
All scripture taken from www.Biblegateway.com
