“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” – Colossians 3:15, 16
We are quickly approaching the time of year where most in the United States celebrate the holiday called Thanksgiving. It gives us an opportunity to take the time to consider the things for which we should be thankful. But, in the swirl of activity to prepare the meal and ready the house for visitors, we are far from thankful. For many, this is the favorite holiday. Some love the family dinner with turkey and dressing. For others, it is the dessert. For some, it is watching football all afternoon with friends and family. But, we make ourselves – and family – so busy that we forget to be thankful.
I want to encourage you to STOP!, and think for what are you thankful. The refrain from the old hymn “Count Your Many Blessings” written by Johnson Oatman, Jr. in 1897 is something we should all strive to do often, but especially at this time of year. The song goes:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
Think about what our relationships would look like, with God and those around us, if we put this into practice. It would be amazing.
How can we cultivate more gratitude in our lives? Research has shown that our work productivity is better when we voice gratitude. Our personal life is more rewarding when we express gratitude to those we love. In general, we like being around people who are grateful. And, others like being around us when we appreciate them.
We have been told that gratitude shapes our attitudes. We know it is true. As we approach this Thanksgiving holiday, please pause, take a few moments, and think of who and what you are thankful.
If you are thankful for God and all he has done in your life, tell Him so. When we pause and acknowledge all God has done for us, our relationship with him grows deeper. If you are thankful for someone in your life, tell them so. This will vastly improve our earthly relationships.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” – 1 Chronicles 16:34
– Jeff Tefertiller
If you would like to submit a devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com
