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So, it’s the season of Thanksgiving y’all.  A time where we not only stuff the turkey, but we gather ‘round the table with family and friends and stuff ourselves. Just when you think you can’t take one more bite, you find some wiggle room to accommodate those delectable morsels of sweetness.  I mean, it is, after all the holidays, right?

But can we talk just a few minutes today about finding some wiggle room this holiday season for something else?  Something that will do more than just fill our stomachs – it will abundantly fill our lives.  Something the very name of the season calls us all to.  

Gratitude.

Gratefulness.

Thanksgiving.


Let’s just be honest. We all complain at times, but let us also acknowledge that rarely does anything good come from our complaints. In fact, doing it habitually has several negative consequences.  According to WKBW, a television station out of Buffalo, complaining not only impacts your mood and the mood of those around you negatively, it can also impact your brain functioning and physical health! 

Now, is this to say that we won’t or shouldn’t ever complain?  Of course not!  We are, after all, human.  But let’s look at some of the benefits of gratitude: 

According to an article on Pastors.com:

  1. Gratitude honors God – not just for what He does, but for who He is. (Psalm 9:1 & Psalm 107:1)
  2. Gratitude creates fellowship. (Colossians 3:16)
  3. Gratitude, especially in difficult times, develops your faith. (Luke 17:17-19 & Colossians 2:7)
  4. Gratitude serves others.  As Rick Warren says in the article, to appreciate is to raise in value.  So when you express appreciation towards others, you are not only ministering to them, but you are raising their value. (1 Tim 2:1-4)
  5. Gratitude is a witness to unbelievers.  Living a life of gratitude towards God lets unbelievers know the truth of who God says He is. (2 Corinthians 4:15) 

Perhaps that is why God instructs us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Jesus told us that in this world we will have trouble.  He knew we’d have reason to complain.  But He also encourages us to take heart.  To be resilient.  To have the courage to not stay in that place of grumbling and complaining but instead to give thanks in all circumstances.


Jesus’ expression of gratitude towards God became a great multiplier in circumstances that looked hopeless, dire, impossible.  You see, our gratitude in all circumstances leads us to an intimacy with God.  It shows, as Dr. Tony Evans says, “a heart of faith is bigger than the difficulties and that He can use them, if you approach Him with the right heart and spirit, for your good and His glory.”  

So yeah, it’s the season of Thanksgiving y’all.  And more than the turkey and dressing, more than the cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, I want to use this time to re-evaluate how well I’m cultivating a heart of gratitude towards God, towards others, and towards the blessings that I have been given.  Not just because “acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance” (Eckhart Tolle), but because giving thanks is God’s will for me.

Highlights from Today’s Episode

  • Finding healing through gratitude
  • Maximizing your potential
  • Building healthy relationships

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Other Stuff to Check Out

Let’s Talk!

  1. Take some time out today to evaluate your words and be honest with yourself.  Do reverberate more grumblings than gratitude?
  2. If you were to name five things you were thankful for off the top of your head, what would they be?  
  3. How do you think your life would change if you were more intentional to cultivate a heart of gratitude?

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