Would you not agree that 2020 and 2021 have been a time of unprecedented world-wide events causing upheaval in everyone’s lives from one degree to another? The Coronavirus season is not over, don’t fool yourselves! Whatever your particular normal was, has changed. I would venture to say that most people have experienced some type of loss. Think about it! Have you lost income, a job, a business, family members, friends, church family members, your home, or maybe even a beloved family pet, peace of mind, faith, health, etc?
Be encouraged because all is not lost. Though we may have incurred some losses, there are things in our lives that have been sustained, restored, or enhanced. If we examine our lives right now, we can find something to give thanks for. The word thanksgiving is defined as giving thanks to God or to people for what they have done. God is the source of all our rewards and often works through people. God and people expect and are blessed when we express thanks to them.
When we thank and praise God for what He has done, is doing, or will do, He blesses us with His presence, power, and provision, resulting in joy and strength. People respond to our giving them thanks with thanksgiving, happiness, and gladness.
Someone, I know always responds “I’m thankful” when you ask, “how are you”? Her response blesses and motivates me to reflect on my reasons to be thankful. As a result, my response to the question, “how are you”, has also become “I’m thankful”.
One time when Jesus passed through Samaria and Galilee, He encountered ten lepers. They asked Him to have mercy on them. He instructed them to go show themselves to the priests. En route to the priests, they were cleansed of leprosy. I’m sure they all were grateful but only one of the ten returned and gave thanks to Jesus for his healing. The words “grateful” and “thanksgiving” don’t mean the same thing. Gratefulness is an unexpressed feeling of thanks in our hearts whereas thanksgiving is expressing our thanks to the one that has done something for us or has given us something .
A church hymn’s refrain says:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
If you are alive and reading this article, I believe you have some reasons to give God thanks. Unlike the nine lepers, let us count our blessings and express our thanks to God and to people.
God Is Ministries, LLC 