Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. While we might be looking forward to stuffing our bellies with all sorts of edible delights, many of us aren’t so excited about the “thanks” part of the day. Many of us just aren’t feeling so grateful right now – whether from the exhaustion of a dramatic election, all the stuff that’s going on in the world, or our own personal struggles.
At the same time, gratitude and thanksgiving is vital for our hearts. So how can we tackle this gratitude thing when it’s a struggle to feel grateful? Here are some ideas the Apostle Paul gives us.
1. Give to others.
In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul told the Corinthian church to be generous with the blessings God gave them. He actually said that God gave them good things so they could be generous with others.
When we act generously, we fulfill the purpose of blessings in our life. That produces gratitude. When we consume blessings on ourselves, we miss out on why God gave us the good things in the first place. That results in self-centeredness.
Give to others this Thanksgiving season. Donate to a food bank. Sponsor a child living poverty. Give to those less fortunate and you’ll start seeing gratitude grow in your heart.
2. Sing songs of gratitude.
In Ephesians 5:19-20, Paul told the church at Ephesus to give thanks to the Lord and to sing songs to each other. There’s something about music that can get past our brain and go straight to our hearts. When we sing songs of gratitude, it starts effecting us deeper down. The truth of the words can bypass our hard heads that might not want to be grateful.
Find a worship song that talks of the goodness of God and sing it. Or better yet, write your own song of gratitude to God. Be specific about the blessings He’s given to you. Gratitude will grow.
3. Give thanks for the bad.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul said that God’s power is made perfect when we are weak. When things aren’t going well, that’s when God’s power is at its best. That’s what let him make the bold statement that he’d celebrate his weaknesses even more so that God’s power could go further.
We can be grateful for the bad things in our life because we know that God’s power is most evident in those times. It’s almost like the stars – we don’t see them when all the lights are on. But when things are darkest, that’s when the most brilliant skies reveal themselves.
We’re commanded to be grateful in Scripture. But, even if we just wanted to do it for selfish reasons, gratitude is necessary. Let’s all make a strong effort at gratitude this season. Let’s give, let’s sing, and let’s allow God’s power to do its amazing work in our lives.