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“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
Thanksgiving was first shared in 1621 as an autumn feast between Plymouth colonist and Wampanoag Indians. In an attempt to foster American unity during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving to be an official holiday celebrated on the last Thursday of November. The first Thanksgiving observed on the same date by all states was on Thursday, November 26, in 1863, less than a month after Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address. Ironically, 74 years earlier on November 26, President George Washington proclaimed the first nation-wide thanksgiving in America.
Although it’s great to express thankfulness during the season, scripture commands us to demonstrate gratitude to God in our daily life. “Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done.” Colossians 2:7 (NLT) I’ll be the first to admit; I don’t always acknowledge God’s goodness in my life when things are going well, let alone when life gets hard. But that’s just the point.
God asks us to be thankful in all circumstances; not just most, but ALL!
Possessing an attitude of gratitude is a choice; a choice that acknowledges His presence in the peaks and valleys of life. In her book, Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough, author Kay Warren outlines a path leading to a soul-satisfying joy that comes through a relationship with God. And that’s just what He had in mind. We were created to enjoy a meaningful and personal relationship with our Lord.
Keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive in your life. Thankfulness is a choice! Choose to be thankful each day!
