During the month of November it is everywhere. People sharing what they are thankful for. People counting their blessings for friends and family to see. But after the “hype” of the holiday how does one continue to have a thankful heart? We, especially as Americans, know that we are blessed and we should be able to find things to be thankful for. But to me there is a difference between being able to make a list as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches and truly having a thankful heart. One is a list from the mind, the other a true heart matter. And what better instructor to show us how to cultivate our hearts properly than the One who created them.
Colossians 3:15-17 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The first verse here tells us to “be thankful”. Again, that is pretty easy this time of year. We are all focused on being thankful, listing our blessings, and filling our hearts with gratitude. But when we move on to the second verse we are given much more difficult tasks. We are to take that thankfulness and share it with others through teaching and instructing one another. We need each other. Scripture tells us over and over again to fellowship with each other, teach each other, and sharpen each other. We can also help each other during times of struggle to maintain our focus on Christ and be thankful even during those rough times.
The next part is one of my favorite ways to create a thankful heart in my own life. I love music. I love to sing. I love to listen. I just love everything about it. And I love the way it can lift my spirit and focus my heart all on that God has done. I have my favorite songs and they change depending on my season and situation. But it always amazes me how God can use a song to remind me of His faithfulness. For example, I have this song that I listened to while Jeremiah was life threatening ill at just two days old. I listened to it over and over again. Then I sang it in my head even more. My favorite line? “From life’s first cry, to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny”. He had it all under control then, just like He does now. And I can hear that song even today and smile (and sometimes cry) over God’s faithfulness. Oh sister, He takes my breath away.
And to sum these verses up we are told to do everything we do as unto Jesus in word and deed and with thankfulness. Don’t keep His goodness to yourself. Talk of Him often and express your thankfulness to Him for the things in your life. But do it out loud and publicly. It might be hard at first but when you start to speak it then you truly start to believe it.
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45b
And you will know that when you start to speak thankfulness to God for each and every thing in your life, and it becomes as natural to you as breathing, you truly have a thankful heart.
Read more thoughts from my TOS mom friends HERE.
And you will know that when you start to speak thankfulness to God for each and every thing in your life, and it becomes as natural to you as breathing, you truly have a thankful heart.
This line says it all… thank you for stating it so clearly. :)