Nov 27

Nov 27 The Importance of Choosing to Be Thankful

Thanksgiving, an American Tradition

Thanksgiving is an American tradition with a rich history. We have a family in our church from Britain experiencing their second Thanksgiving holiday in America. I teased them this past Sunday about becoming more American. They are a delightful family, and getting to know them as a part of our church family has been wonderful. It’s fun to see them fully embrace their American life and family while still valuing their heritage.

But not everyone looks forward to the holidays. For many, Thanksgiving is not a time that makes them thankful. There are myriad reasons why everyone doesn’t look forward to the holidays. For some, there aren’t fond memories of the family gathering for the holidays. Others may have fond memories, but present situations in life stifle those good times. Loneliness is another big factor, especially with the recent or pending loss of someone dear. So, keep this in mind for their sakes.

Many families have certain traditions for Thanksgiving Day. Certain foods or dishes are a must, and this may not include the stereotypical turkey and fixings. Some families have Thanksgiving Day activities from backyard football games to indoor games, reading Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation, maybe reading about the first Thanksgiving in America, or sharing favorite scriptures focusing on giving thanks.

A common go-around-the-table tradition is to say what you’re thankful for this year. I know that may seem trite, but giving thanks is important. Before diving into a big spread of food, it’s just good sense to appreciate all our blessings. There are literally millions, probably billions, of people who dream of having all we have and enjoying how and where we live. Having lived overseas for many years, I’m quite aware of that.

A Sacrifice of Praise?

It’s especially important to give thanks when you don’t feel thankful. The writer of the Book of Hebrews exhorted believers, “… let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15). I remember reading that as a young believer and thinking it odd. What’s a “sacrifice of praise,” I wondered. Later in life, I learned.

This year, I’m especially thankful because I need to be. Being thankful changes your attitude and, eventually, your heart. Even if it starts out as a “sacrifice of praise” when you don’t feel thankful, God has a way of reorienting your perspective. I’d be lying to you if I said I feel thankful all the time. I don’t. This is why I need to be thankful!

This past birthday, I woke up kind of grumpy. That isn’t normal for me, although it’s not altogether unusual, as my wife will tell you. But it was a bit strange. It seemed to stem from my age. It wasn’t a milestone birthday. I had one of those last year. It was just the realization of getting older. When I caught myself moping around as I got my morning toast and coffee, I realized the need to be intentional about being thankful.

I mean, there are plenty of things I suppose I could complain about. Well, that I could justify to myself as being “complainable.” But I saw how ridiculous that attitude was. I knew I needed to choose to be thankful rather than walk around with my own black cloud of disappointment and discouragement hanging over my head. My family had surprised me with a sweet birthday dinner two days earlier. It was a lowkey, fun time, and I really enjoyed it.

Sometimes, it’s just way too easy to slide into an ungrateful state of mind. Why? I think the curse of comparisons plays a big part. Comparing our life to someone else’s is a great way to start yourself on a downward spiral of discouragement. Conversely, viewing others’ lives with gratitude can foster a grateful outlook on your own.

Living and traveling overseas for many years, I’ve seen people in dangerous and difficult places. What’s encouraging is to see people happy and content despite what they don’t have. We Americans, and most other Westerners, have what might be called “first-world tunnel vision.” What I mean is this. Many of us have a limited scope of comparison. If your basis for comparison is Instagram or TikTok, you’ll have a distorted basis for comparison.

Choosing to Be Thankful

If you have a hard time knowing where to start for a positive perspective on your life, try asking and answering some questions like the following.

Are you a refugee from a war-torn area? Is your life in continual danger?
Has a disaster devastated your home, or are you homeless for some other reason?
Are you imprisoned? Are you dealing with a severe or life-threatening illness?

If your answer to most or all of those questions is “no,” then you have that to be thankful for. Here are a few more questions to ask yourself.

Do you have a home, food, and relatively good health?
Are there people in your life who care about you and love you, or at least like you?
Do you have the assurance of trusting in God?

OK, you’ve probably got the idea by now. I can give you my reasons for being thankful today and this year, but that’s me. I’m not you. It’s up to you to find reasons to be grateful this Thanksgiving, or for that matter, every day.

Just as with anyone else, I need to choose to be thankful every day, not just at Thanksgiving time. I need to be intentional about it. It’s a healthy mindset if nothing else, and it leads to a healthier lifestyle. Another big plus is that people might enjoy being around us, too. When we’re thankful and share that thankfulness with others, it helps change the world around us.

One last question. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?