ARTICLES

by Mackenzie Unruh

What would it look like to have an attitude of thanksgiving all year long?

In the week or two before Thanksgiving, people tend to focus on being thankful for what they have. It is common to have times where people have the opportunity to share with the group something they are thankful for. Often, this is done at church or around the table at a meal with family. People reflect on what they have and express their gratitude.

Ironically, the day after Thanksgiving is all about getting more stuff. Marketing campaigns convince customers to buy something while it is on sale because it will make their lives better and it will not be available for long. Meanwhile, the brief feeling of thankfulness felt at the Thanksgiving table is a distant memory.

It doesn’t have to be this way though.

In Psalm 105:1, David writes, “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!” According to this verse, thankfulness should be directed toward God and shared with others. God has done marvelous things and given us wonderful gifts. We should thank him for it. However, we should also share those things with others so they too might be encouraged and blessed. We can and should use every day as an opportunity to be thankful and share God’s goodness—not just Thanksgiving Day.

The question then becomes, how do we go about doing that?

Here are some ways we can practice thankfulness throughout the year:

1. Write down one or two things you are thankful for every day. If this seems daunting, challenge yourself to do it for a certain amount of time whether that be a week, a month, or a year. Not only will this help you to maintain a thankful attitude, but you will be able to look back and see what God has done over that period of time. Hopefully when the allotted time is up, you will continue to do this and form a habit.
2. Challenge yourself to specifically thank God for who he is and what he has done. It is so easy to be thankful for material things, which is good. However, those are not the only things we have to be thankful for. We must practice recognizing and thanking God for who he is and how he is working in our lives. For example, it might be the peace God gave you in an uncertain time or the wisdom he gave you to deal with a certain situation. It could also be how he led you to a new job. These may not be material things, but they are gifts from God nonetheless.
3. Keep a list of answered prayers. When God answers a prayer, write it down so you will remember. Keep this list in a place where you will see it daily such as on your bathroom mirror or on the refrigerator and read through it often to remind yourself of God’s faithfulness. We as humans are prone to forget what God has done. Therefore, it is good to write it down and remind ourselves.
4. Regularly tell others what you are thankful for. Share with others what God is doing in your life. Not only will it encourage others, but it will serve as a reminder for yourself as well. Also, attitudes are often contagious. When one person is upset, those around them are more likely to become upset. However, if you are thankful, maybe those around you will also be thankful.

So this year, as Thanksgiving transitions into the Christmas season, make thankfulness a habit in your everyday life and not just something reserved for one day.