Always For All Things
Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year. It is a holiday designed around the noble concept of gratefulness. Christians are to be thankful at all times for all things. Ephesians 5:20 says that we should give “… thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.” Think about those words, “always for all things.” These words are universal in scope. In other words, there is not a single thing for which we should not be thankful nor a single time at which we should not be thankful. It is a recipe for optimism.
We should be thankful at all times. Have you ever had a negative thought when standing in the grocery line? Did you ever think poorly of someone else’s driving abilities? Have you ever criticized anyone unfairly or behind their backs? Thanksgiving will cure you of these thoughts. By focusing on what we are thankful for at these times, our minds don’t have time to pursue the negative. You will also find yourself more cheery and joyful and it will not be so difficult to practice Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
We should be thankful for all things. It’s not hard to be thankful for our blessings both physical and spiritual. We can be thankful for our opportunities by taking advantage of them. We can be thankful for our employment and means of living. It does not matter how little it may be since God can do big things with small blessings. We can even be thankful for our troubles and difficulties for the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” that they will yield (Hebrews 12:11). There is not a single thing for which we cannot be thankful.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley