Give Thanks

Eating turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin pie may not come again for another year, but the theme of Thanksgiving can be on our minds and hearts every day! Here are some verses to ponder that tell about the importance and necessity of being thankful:

Colossians 2:6-7
…just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 107:8
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,

Psalm 9:1, 7:17
I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds...I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.

What are you thankful for?
Having a loving family, supportive friends, clean water, and the opportunity to go to college, are just some of the many things we might say in response. There are countless things we can thank and praise God for every moment we’re alive.

It’s easy to forget sometimes though, that we are called to be thankful for everything, not just for things that are obviously blessings, but for difficult circumstances as well. Paul talks in 2 Corinthians chapters 11 and 12, about all the hardships he has endured and how tormenting his “thorn in the flesh” was. But through all that, he manages to say “…I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me…I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak then I am strong” (12:9-10). We can be thankful for things that seem despairing because we know God is working in every aspect of our life. He can display His power when we are weak, and he can turn any situation into one that brings Him glory.

Let’s be “overflowing with thankfulness” today for everything in our life.

Happy Thanksgiving! (It might be a week late, but I’ll say it anyway. :) )

- SL