Thanksgiving: State of Mind or Way of Life?

State of Mind or Way of Life?

In preparing for this message, I have read a lot of scriptures and articles on thankfulness, gratefulness.

This time of year we see beautiful decor with things like Grateful, thankful, blessed.

In preparation , I could not help but pose the question to myself, do I think thankfulness is a state of mind or a way of life?

And as any good pastor would say I think there are strong points to it being both.

Then my mind went towards the book of Ephesians

Where Paul is writing these words to encourage and be thankful while in prison. I find the irony of these words here to be thought provoking and challenging.

Are you thankful no matter what?

Circumstances can affect our level of thankfulness, even though we have much to be thankful for.

So should our level of thanksgiving be rooted in circumstances? Where should our focus be?

Ephesians 5:15–20 NLT

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:19–20 NLT

singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Eph.

Prayer for the words of scripture to grip our hearts and challenge us to change our approach on how we see things.

Always give thanks for everything - no matter the circumstances

What do you think of this statement? Do you think I am out to lunch?

Paul’s thankfulness was not once in a while level of thankfulness but it was daily. Do you take time daily to be thankful? Is your attitude centered in thinking on the blessings/positives or the curses/what’s wrong in life?

I have to admit, I struggle with this.

This week I wasn’t well, so there off the bat I’m moody. Then everything I touched wasted, started with wasting Tumeric all over the floor. Spilled Quinoa which is tiny pebbles that went everywhere, then flour, then a small container of candy. It was never ending each day.

That’s small in comparison to what some are dealing with on a daily basis. The thing that I go back to is when my Aunt went through her second cancer surgery and I went to see her and saw her connected to tubes from every angle. My eyes filled with tears and she shook her finger saying no pointing to Heaven saying give thanks to God!

Give thanks to God in the midst of all this sickness and uncertainty she gave praises to God.

That is giving thanks for everything.