One of the most beautiful dispositions that we can live in daily is the spirit of thanksgiving.  This is the way to live before God with joy each and every day of our lives.  Thanksgiving and joy are joined together in the three great commands of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.” Unfortunately, we are often disappointed and not thankful.  We are grieved and not joyful.  We may even be angry and not full of God’s peace.  We are focused on self and are easily prone to self-pity.  This is one of the characteristics of human nature that really shows our distance from God as human beings.  God is good, giving, and generous to bless.  Too often, we are first of all and in all of our thoughts focused on our own self-advantage.  To break out of this bondage to selfishness is the deliverance into liberty that the Gospel can give us. However, to break through the bondage of self-centeredness into a spirit of thankfulness is a daily battle.  It has been said that we all wake up cynics every morning.  The question is are we going to stay that way or repent and rejoice and be thankful?  The daily resolve we must make is to live by God’s perspective or our own. 

One of the first principles of living by God’s perspective is to recognize His sovereignty.  This means He rules over all as the King of heaven and earth.  Whatever He says goes.  Whatever He decides He does.  This leads to the question: do we live in God’s favor or under God’s displeasure.  If we are a believer in the Lord Jesus then we are in God’s favor and we are promised that all things will work together for our good.  If we are not a believer in the Lord Jesus then the things God brings into our lives are for the purpose of turning our thoughts toward Him and to our need for forgiveness through the Savior’s death on the cross and His glorious resurrection.

Just because we live in God’s favor does not mean that we will automatically be thankful in all situations.  Unfortunately, there is much remaining cynicism in us.  We would probably never say we are cynical toward God, but that is what we are if we are cynical toward the difficulties and trials he sends our way.  Whatever He sends us is for our good.  Whatever comes into our lives he promises cannot harm us if we are God’s children.  He will mature us, strengthen us, and make us more like the Lord Jesus by the grace He gives us in all of our difficulties.  We will learn to pray more, read His word more, and walk more closely to Christ.  When we are not learning these truths we are becoming more and more miserable.  It doesn’t take much of that to make us look up to God and pary, “Lord bring me out of this prison that I may praise your name.”  (See Psalm 142). 

Perhaps the greatest reason we have to be thankful in every situation is the promise: “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  No matter what we lose or suffer, we still have the Lord as our Father, Savior, and Heavenly Friend.  It often seems that the more that we lose, the more precious He becomes to us.  Let this be the starting point of our thanksgiving each day and in every situation.  Then we can truly give thanks in everything.  May you have a blessed thanksgiving season!