You Can Make the Choice to Be Thankful

Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.
Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

This past weekend was Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. I loved spending time with my family and church family. And I also love the particular focus on being thankful. There are many things for which I am thankful. One of those things is that I live in a country with freedom of religion. Others have made great sacrifices so that I can continue to enjoy basic freedoms. Whenever I see a news clip of a handicapped or fallen soldier, my heart fills with thankfulness for the sacrifices that have been made on my behalf.

As a Christian nation, we should be thankful for the countless men and women who have given their lives for our freedom and for those who are placing their lives on the line each day for our freedom. As Christians we should also be thankful for those who have sacrificed through the centuries to keep the Gospel message alive.

Honor and respect are two qualities that have been devalued in our culture. Honor of authority and respect for property seem to be at an all time low. I think that much of this has to do with a lack of thankfulness for the benefits that come with being under authority. Without authority, there is chaos and confusion. And confusion breeds lawlessness. Lawlessness does not honor authority nor respect property. We need to be thankful for the authority that allows our nations to be at peace and our families to be secure.

For that to happen, we need the spirit of thankfulness to come to life in our hearts. We should be thankful even when we are going through rough times. The world is full of negative words, doubt, fear, defeat, and ingratitude. Do not allow yourself to be caught up in such things. As a Christian, even though you are in the world, you are not a part of it. You live in a higher Kingdom, above the negative kingdom of fear.

Thankfulness is not an emotion, but instead is a decision of the heart. A lack of thankfulness will affect your prayers. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6 that when we pray, we should not be anxious or fearful, but as we make our requests known to God, we should do so with an attitude of thanksgiving. The Bible also tells us that God has placed before us life and death. With life comes blessing and thankfulness. Remember, thankfulness is not an emotion, but it is a decision of the heart. Choose wisely.

Will you choose to express your gratitude for all God has done? Now, that’s the choice-driven life!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Is 60-63; 2 Cor 1

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