Monday, November 14, 2011

Give Thanks

This morning I was preparing a group activity for children that I work with in school. As Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I decided to focus the lesson on gratitude. I think we all can benefit from a reminder to be thankful and grateful.

So many times, there is so  much complaining going on. Complaining is the opposite of being thankful and Numbers 11:1 tells us "Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp."

Instead the Word instructs us to be thankful. When should we be thankful? According to Hebrews 13:15, we should "...continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name." Why should we give thanks? Several scriptures point to the answer to this quesetion:

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. ~ Psalm 107:1

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ I Corinthians 15:57

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. ~2 Corinthians 2:14

Having a thankful heart helps to bring down strongholds in our lives, like depression, bitterness, and hatred. As I mentioned in the activity that I prepared for the children, gratitude makes a great attitude!

In closing, Let us mediate on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

~Ann Gantt, Ph.D., LCSW (New Hope Counselor)

1 comment:

Ginger said...

Thanks for the reminder, Ann!! The funny thing is, when we choose to rejoice even in hard stuff, the hard stuff really, really is OK!!! Because God is blessing us in the midst of it.