Giving Thanks: Practically Speaking

In eveything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:18

I'm not going to preach to you on being thankful. If you're like me, not only have you already heard at least one Thanksgiving sermon this week, but you are keenly aware of your ungrateful heart and desire fervently to change. How can this happen?

First of all, like the alcoholic that must recognize he or she has a problem before anything can be done about it, awareness of an ungrateful heart is the first step. Once you recognize this sin, you can confess it to God and ask Him to do something about it. You and I cannot make ourselves more grateful people, but we can and must entrust the process to the One who is conforming us to the image of Christ.

That being said, there is something we can do to help cultivate a grateful heart. Just like the alcoholic must choose not to drink, we must choose to be thankful. We must make an effort during the course of our days to lift up prayers of Thanksgiving as we see the blessings of God manifested in our lives. Did you wake up feeling better than usual this morning? Thank God for it! Did someone unexpectedly offer to buy your lunch? Praise God! You get the idea.

Beyond having a thankful spirit and specifically thanking God, there is another exercise that has proven very helpful to me. Several years ago, I was struggling with a personal relationship, and I shared my struggles with a wise friend. She suggested that I make a list of all of the things about this person for which I was thankful. I did this, and the list went on and on. When I was done, I felt much better about this particular relationship.

Now, when I'm struggling with my attitude toward another person or my circumstances, I make a thankful list in my journal. There has never been a time when this exercise has not improved my spirits and ultimately resulted in my praising God for His goodness to me. If you don't already keep a journal because you don't know what you would write in it, this is an excellent way to start.