Happy Thanksgiving, Faith Radio family!
When you think of Thanksgiving, gratitude is often the first thing that comes to mind. Whether we watch the Macy’s Day parade, eat a very large meal with all the trimmings or watch football with family and friends, it’s easy to forget the meaning of the holiday. Thanksgiving is about gratitude, gatherings of unity, retelling stories from our family history and moments of victory and struggles. Right now, gatherings of unity in our world would be nice!
Abraham Lincoln once said, “But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, by the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.” How true this rings today.
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American phenomenon. It’s about remembering to give thanks to God for His provisions and blessings during our earliest days—something we need to retain in our times of celebration. Biblically, we see thanksgiving associated with adoration, praise, an offering, or sacrifice. We find ourselves giving thanks for what God has done and who He is, no matter the day. As the Pilgrims noted, God is faithful and gives abundantly to His children. Thanksgiving comes from a grateful heart to the One who has given so much and continues to bless His children.
This Thanksgiving, enjoy the meal, watch the parade and football, but give thanks…and if you need a little prompting, here are a few verses from the Psalms to remind you.
“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms (95:2).”
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name (100:4).”
“O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endures forever…Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness (107:1, 8-9).”
Now, take a few moments to reflect. What are you thankful for? Maybe make time to share your thoughts at the dining room table before the meal begins. Or have each person write down three things to share from the past year.
Being grateful and engaging in thanksgiving provides many benefits. Grateful people have better health and fewer aches and pains. Gratitude decreases the activation of stress hormones such as cortisol and promotes health. It also promotes happiness and positivity. And grateful people are more optimistic, outgoing, helpful, and compassionate. And here is a bonus: thankfulness leads to a more generous spirit.
Because of these benefits and the spiritual directive to give thanks, why not make gratefulness a daily goal—rather than just once a year? It will boost your mood and spirit every day. Now that’s something to be thankful for!
The many benefits of gratitude
