The bible has a lot to say about giving thanks. During this Thanksgiving season, I want to offer four reasons why we should give thanks.
1. God commands us to give thanks. "In all thing, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:18). We often hear people ask, "How do I know God's will?" Well, we know God's will on this issue - it is His will that we give thanks. Therefore, when we are thankful we can know we are doing God's will.
2. God is deserving of our thanks. The Bible says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (Jas. 1:17). Every good thing in our life is ultimately a gift from God. Therefore, He deserves our thanks for all He has done for us.
3. Thanks does us good. We all know how giving thanks helps to get our eyes off of ourselves and onto what is important. It is too easy to focus on things in our life that we do not like, circumstances that are difficult, or other struggles we are having. However, when we make the choice to rejoice and assume the attitude of gratitude, it actually serves to change our emotions for the better.
4. Giving thanks is contagious. When we have a thankful attitude, it spreads to others and can sometimes cause the complainer around us to stop! Wouldn't that be something! Better yet, people like to be around others who are positive.
So, this Thanksgiving (and every day for that matter), let's be a thankful people. For those who are followers of Christ, the most important thing to be thankful for is salvation in Jesus!
