Being thankful has usually come easy for me. I can be thankful in the most rediculous situations...usually looking for a bright spot, or a silver lining to the cloud...or making lemonade out of lemons. I've noticed a lot of posts on my social network of friends recounting each day the things they are thankful for, which is good to do. I remember singing, as a little girl in a small church in Broughton IL, the words 'count your many blessings, name them one by one.'
Once I heard a well known speaker say that our prayers express our spiritual maturity, as they move from 'requests of God' to 'expressing thankfulness to God'. That makes a lot of sense, when you think about it. How we think about God, the Creator of the Universe is the most important thing about us. Scripture teaches us to be thankful in all circumstances. Go ahead, be bold, try it for a day: Just say "Thank You" to God for anything your hand touches, or your eye sees--or your emotions 'feel'.
I added this 'feel' part because it seems we live in a culture where we have bought in to the lie of Satan that if what we are feeling is unpleasant, we need medication to get through. I'm not going on about medication...but what I will tell you is that God created our feelings/emotions. He is intimately familiar with you and your feelings, according to Psalm 139....nothing is a surprise to Him.
One thing I considered this morning, as I was reading is that it has become somewhat 'old fashioned' to be truly thankful. I was reminded in my 'Mornings with Tozer' devotional that we should not be anxious to put away things that are 'ordinary' or 'commonplace' in our practices concerning God. (Tozer goes on to express a concern that "this existing mania for glamour and contempt for the ordinary are signs and portents in American society. Even religion has gone glamorous!" And then he talks about glamour instead of glory.) The scripture used to tie these thoughts together is 2 Thessalonians 2:15, which says: So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
Embrace feelings, handle them appropriately according to God's word, embrace thankfulness, embrace this season. Sometimes it's the best holiday ever...sometimes, it's the worst...remember this place is not our home, and there will come glory that will outshine anything we experience here...anything...it's a promise we can live by!
Being thankful--it's the condition of your heart. Make certain that your heart has healthy attitudes and it is glad.
Be thankful!
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