Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching and I for one can’t wait to celebrate (and eat cranberry sauce which for the record is the most underrated part of the meal in my humble opinion). We all know that Thanksgiving is a day to be well…thankful! Like most holidays Thanksgiving tends to sneak up on us. It’s here before we know it. We make all of the family plans and arrangements. We bake the food and decorate the house. We make sure everyone in the family can make it and then watch mom get worried that someone won’t. We feel all the feels that come with the holidays. Then it arrives. The day is here and we know that only one thing seems to be missing. Thankfulness. We feel a bit of guilt as we have planned this entire day and forgot to invite the star of the show to the party. As we gather our thoughts in the midst of busy preparations a little peace comes over us as we start to remember the meaning of the holiday. We are thankful! We just forget to think about it!
Thankfulness is a discipline. Thankfulness is similar to any other discipline in that it must be consistent to make an impact. Like our high school coaches told us, “Practice makes perfect.” Imagine going to the gym one time and then three weeks later you look back in frustration and wonder why you aren’t fit. Discipline is fed by desire. Desire develops habits. Habits breed consistency. After that, discipline becomes a lifestyle. Thanksgiving needs to be more than a day. Thanksgiving is a lifestyle.
In order to have a lifestyle of thanksgiving we have to know what we are most thankful for. It comes from remembering what Jesus has done for you. Thanksgiving by nature isn’t focused on us. It has to be focused on Him. His perfect life, sacrificial death, and lifegiving resurrection are the ingredients that give disciples the recipe for a grateful heart. When we meditate on him we can’t help but to be thankful. When we think less about ourselves, our circumstances, our misfortunes, our health, our brokenness, our relationships, and fix our eyes on Jesus we become thankful.
Consider how the Psalmist David starts Psalm 9:1;
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
So let’s start Thanksgiving Day early this year. Just like that one family member (you know who you are) that likes to have a Birthday “month” instead of “day” let’s build a habit of thankfulness into our hearts from the beginning of the month. Let’s recount His wonderful deeds. Let’s sing His praises. Let’s meditate on His word. Let’s become thankful even when we don’t feel thankful. Let’s go to the well of living water and drink until we are so satisfied it changes more than our thirst. It changes our hearts!
Today, start the habit of remembering the good news of Jesus. Set aside 2 minutes to simply remember what God has done for you and how He loves us. A simple 2 minute daily habit can and will create in us a life of thankfulness. Of course, it starts there but doesn’t have to end there. Maybe this year we won’t feel Thanksgiving “guilt” on Thanksgiving Day. After all, thankfulness is more than just a day. But it starts with today.