Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thanksgiving Already?!



I can't believe we are celebrating Thanksgiving already! This time of year always has so much anticipation. I'm always excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas to arrive and then it just flies by! Then I'm waiting another year for it to come back! I love the warm fall colors, my cozy sweaters, and my wool socks with boots. I love the cheery atmosphere everywhere you go (at least in Colorado everyone is happy, tough luck if you live anywhere else). I am happiest when I can sit with my seasonal flavored Starbucks and read a good book next to Christmas decorations that are put up entirely to early. I'm thankful for these peaceful moments that I can have among the craziness of the holidays. I don't get these times often and it made me thankful for these short moments.

Thanksgiving only comes around once a year, but thankfulness should not. We emphasize thankfulness around thanksgiving and say "thank you" because we have manners. But what does a grateful heart really look like? I say I'm thankful for family, friends, and all my belongings but that doesn't effect the way I am living. Most of the time I just feel entitled to have my list of blessings. I think I deserve them and shouldn't have to live without them. 

My selfish, sinful nature limits my thankfulness and starves me from God's peace and presence in full measure. I am withholding my ability to receive so much that the Lord is offering. My lack of thankfulness pulls the wool over my eyes and gives me a heart of entitlement. I hate this truth. 

We are called to a life of thankfulness.We were created first and foremost to glorify God. I was created for this purpose and boy I have failed often. 

Colossians 3:15- 
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

Psalm 100:4-
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

Thankfulness opens our hearts and deepens our relationship with our Father. I love how Jesus Calling puts it, "It opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts." Being thankful allows me to be closer to His Presence. Giving thanks in all circumstances, tough or easy, makes it easier to communicate with Him (Ephesians 5:20). When your focus is on Him and what He has done it results in negativity growing weaker and weaker. We give Him thanks (regardless of our feelings) and he gives us Joy (regardless of our circumstances) (Jesus Calling, 346). Thankfulness reigning in your heart makes the scales, or the wool, to fall off enabling you to see more and more of His glorious riches and blessings (346). 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18-
"Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

My challenge is to live this out. A pure, thankful heart brings me closer to His Presence, there is no better place to be. I am capable of living an abundant life with praise and thankfulness because I have a steadfast companion. I don't want to just be thankful because it's thanksgiving. I'm blessed too much to only live a thankful life through the holidays. I have so many reasons to rejoice and more than anything I want Christ's peace to rule my heart. His love endures forever, there is no greater love (Psalm 118). That alone is something to be thankful for everyday.


--Holly 









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