How Thankful Are You....Really?

Good morning! This week many of us will be caught up in a whirlwind of activity that surrounds Thanksgiving. Maybe you are traveling or have family coming to you. You want to make sure that you have the turkey just right and have all of the right trimmings available. Some of you, who are gluttons for punishment, will venture out to the local malls and retail outlets for “Black Friday.”

In this flurry of activity it is easy to lose sight of the true meaning of Thanksgiving. For many the only reflection on God’s blessings will be a brief prayer over the Thanksgiving meal. Is that what thankful heart truly looks like? I think not! Look at the following passage of scripture from the New Testament:

Colossians 2:7 (NLT)
Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.

The first thing I want you to notice is that true gratitude comes from the depths of your soul. If you treat your relationship with God as nothing more than a casual acquaintance your thankfulness will always be shallow. It is only when we deeply root into a deep intimacy with Christ that we realize just how much we have been given and forgiven. As you approach Thanksgiving this year, I challenge you to examine the depth of your relationship with Christ. Are you passionately, madly in love with Him or have you settled for a casual dating relationship? If your relationship is not at the depth or passion that it should be, ask God to stir your heart with passion and fervor.

The second thing I want you to notice is that a deeply rooted life overflows with thanksgiving. Think about the word “overflow.” If water overflows a glass it shows that the volume of water cannot be contained. A person who overflows with thanksgiving is so filled with gratefulness that it overflows. Their thankfulness is readily apparent and regularly touches the lives of others.

This week, before you get distracted by the holiday celebration of “Thanksgiving,” I encourage you to spend some time in a quiet place. Take a notepad and a pen and begin to write out a prayer of thanksgiving. Think of all that God has done for you in the past 12 months. List everything…from the basics to the miraculous and even the difficult times, because they have strengthened you. Once you have completed that list spend some time worshipping at the feet of Jesus with a heart of thanksgiving.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl