Every Thanksgiving, we are reminded to celebrate all we have to be thankful for in our lives.
But God doesn’t want us to just be especially thankful once a year. He longs for us to be thank-full every day in every situation every time we can.
Do you recall that verse “Give thanks in all circumstances” we hear every autumn? There’s more to it….for it wasn’t meant to stand on its own!
”Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
BE CHEERFUL no matter what. Being of good cheer is part choice, part based upon how we handle the emergencies & hard situations we face. Which links it to the next instruction in this verse:
PRAY ALL THE TIME. Out loud, in your mind, or with your spirit, constantly bringing everything to Him in the moment.
And when we connect with Him as we do so? (We can) GIVE THANKS in all circumstances.
Only when all three occur together does the last part of this verse make complete sense:
“This (cheerfully praying with thanks every step of all we encounter) is the way God wants His Beloved to live….”
Choosing joy.
Connected with Him.
Celebrating with thanks.
This Thanksgiving season, take the time to look back on how God has been with you in every season, and what He walked you through.
SMILE. (Laugh, twinkle your eyes or flash your dimple!) Because cheerful inside usually leads to a sign on the outside!
PRAY. However you pray. Whether by speaking it. Thinking it. Writing it. Singing it. Drawing it. On your own. In 2 or 3. At home. At work. Over coffee. While walking. In the car, bus or train.
CHOOSE TO BE THANKFUL. We are so extra blessed when we are part of God’s family:
•We are loved beyond measure by our Father. We belong. •We are residents of the Kingdom, made whole & clean in Jesus. We’re His. •We have access to resources beyond our comprehension through Holy Spirit. We’re never alone.
Because God is fully with us through all things, we can be thank-full in every season, & every day!
Karla Lees, Christian Women at Work
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