I started a new sermon series yesterday which is planned for the months of November and December. I’m calling it More Than a Holiday. My original plan was just to use that idea in November but once I really started thinking about it my rationale became clear and simple: those two months carry two of the “Big 3” holidays (the other obviously Easter). Tragically, those two special days have also become “taken-for-granted” holidays. Possibly none more than Thanksgiving.
I think a quick quiz will show that. One question. Word association. “Thanksgiving.”
Answers: Turkey. Family. Football. Time off work (for some). Holiday.
How many in our culture today would say, “Gratitude”? Or something like, “It is stopping the wheel in the mouse cage for a time of slow down and thankfulness”?
Not very many, if any, I’m afraid. That includes those of us who follow Jesus. we often get just as caught up in the rat race as our non-following counterparts.
Thanksgiving should not be a forgotten part of our lives. It changes us. It transforms us. It makes a difference in how we act; how we perceive life; and how others perceive us. Here is something I wrote for my sermon and used it as part of my conclusion before reading Psalm 75:1 and Psalm 67.
Gratitude changes our perspective. It changes our altitude (how we look at things). It changes our whole outlook. We go from pouting to praise. We go from grumbling to gratitude. We go from pessimism to optimism. We go from looking down to looking up. We go from griping to grinning. Gratitude helps us hold on to hope. We see from the past that God was good; we can see into the future with hope, knowing God is good.
Start this month determined to make gratitude more than a holiday event but a daily practice.
Every day should be an opportunity to be thankful to God for all His blessings. That kind of gratitude can’t be contained in one day of celebration, can it? May we all live with a gratitude attitude.
Blessings, Bill!
One day is definitely not enough Martha. I totally agree with a life of gratitude.
Great thoughts and I can’t agree more. Being thankful does change the attitude and heart. I will strive to make that a daily challenge.
I think there are time we all need to make an attitude change. Thanks for taking up the challenge.
Bill, I loved your gratitude quote. It is the perfect way to look at the way gratitude changes everything. If you live a life of gratitude, and look for all the ways to be thankful, we will not have time to be grumbling, pessimistic, jealous, negative. What Christ did for us on the Cross, should be enough to change our lives into lives of gratitude every day. If Christ is truly first in our lives, we would be living a life of gratitude everyday.
Thanks Gail. I agree that what Christ did on the cross should be enough to motivate us to be grateful. How could we ever say thanks enough for that?
I was just speaking about this with someone. We were talking about how Jesus came to give us the garment of praise FOR the spirit of heaviness. Praise His holy name!
I remember singing an older praise song with those lyrics Cheryl. It has been awhile. I’m not sure I can even remember the tune let alone the words. 🙂 But praise changes everything.