Surrender
•
July 1, 2023
Worst Enemy
Control vs Joy
Thankfulness
What is thankfulness? Have you ever thought of it as a gift? Some people just seem to come by it naturally. I think that thankfulness is a gift and a choice. So how do you measure up in choosing thankfulness? Are you a glass half empty sort of person or are you a glass half full? Don’t scoff at the silliness of the question. You can’t summarize your emotional state of mind simply by the thought of a glass of water, but it is a start.
Thankful is a state of mind. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines thankful as 1: conscious of benefit received for what we are about to receive make us truly thankful 2: expressive of thanks thankful service.
Have you ever asked someone in passing, “How are you doing?” only to hear “if I were any better, I couldn’t stand it?" Does it make you stop and pause and want to know what is different in their lives versus yours? What makes that person thankful?
When my children were small, I can’t tell you how much time my husband and I put into teaching them to say thank you. Thank you for breakfast, thank you for the ride, thank you for the new toy or shoes or money to go to the movies. As I would send my kids to their friend’s houses, I hoped that when they were away from their parents, they would act in a manner that they have been taught and be polite and thankful. Most of the time, I heard back from other parents that they were great kids and a pleasure to have over. So why don’t they always act like that at home?
Instead of thinking that a thankful attitude is something you put on like a coat or lipstick, we should ask ourselves where it comes from. How do we live in the state of “thanfulness?" In desiring to be thankful, we must identify what makes us feel thankful and what steals the feeling of thankfulness from our hearts?
Can we live in a sense of entitlement and remain thankful? I don’t think so. Are we so blind to our emotional state each day that we don’t recognize the blessings that happen to us in real time? When do you take the time to stop and notice what is going on around you? If you don’t take the time to look up from your phone or ponder life, how do you know what you have? How do you know what you are missing?
Unfortunately, it is usually through stress, loss, grief, envy or strife that someone notices what they “don’t” have. We compare what we have with those around us. In the comparison game, you will never measure up to what you think you see. If you are looking at social media for comparison, you are comparing your worst day to someone else’s image of their best day and feeling like you don’t measure up. Thankfulness starts with a small moment of realization of all that you are and all that you are not. If there is anything in us that is good, it was given to us by the Father. If there is anything in us that is not good, it is covered by the blood of the Son. Only Christ can meet us where we are and love us anyway. Through Christ as the lens from which we view the world, we can see the joy and pain of the moment. We can experience his acceptance and his redemption. Only through Christ can He bring our vision of who and what we are into clear focus when we have a true example of someone to emulate. When we resemble Christ, we become our best selves through his power and goodness. And that is something to be thankful for.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Psalm 95:2
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving: let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
There are many practical ways to begin tracking the things in your life that you should feel thankful for. Whether it is recalling your highest moment of the day to your family at the dinner table or your lowest moment of the day, it starts with the High & Low game and makes you actually think through your day. It helps you process the day and reflect back over it. Then verbalizing your thoughts and emotions helps others to know what you value and where you need to see the bright side. My husband will quickly ask each person at the table to share what they are thankful for before we eat. If we are not feeling particularly thankful – it reminds us to switch gears. If we have one or two things that we are thankful for, it sets a tone at the table of appreciation and understanding.
You may be able to find a gratitude/thankfulness journal at the local bookstore. I have friends that write down what they are thankful for and put it in a jar. Whenever you need a reminder, you can pull all of the contents of the jar out and revel in the moments that God provided for all over again. Thankfulness is the beginning of joy.
Dear Lord, please give me your perspective as I see the world, and how I fit into it. Please mold my heart to be built up in thankfulness and love. Please show me all the way's that you take care of me. Show me the areas in my life that I don’t honor you with thankfulness. Give me the courage to really see me as you see me. Please take my unthankful attitudes and reveal them to me so I may confess them and start new. I pray that you will give me a burning desire to honor you in all I say and do. Amen.
