WHAT DOES BEING THANKFUL REALLY MEAN?
We are entering into the season of thankfulness, and it is easy to fall into a habit of saying, “I am so thankful”. Most people don’t even know what it fully means. Thankfulness is more than a feeling, circumstance, or the thanks you give after receiving a gift. Did you know thankfulness is actually a coping mechanism for overcoming addiction, anxiety, and depression? Let me explain.
My name is Sam. I am the daughter of the Directors of Finding and Family, Chris and Debra Hedgcorth. Today I want to dive into what thankfulness really means. We focus on this one word, thankfulness, around this year every time. Sometimes without giving it another thought. But truly, thankfulness is a lifestyle. It is something that should functionally be a part of our day. It’s not just an additive that we should put on to say, “I feel thankful today because of this circumstance.” Or “I feel thankful today because of this event.” It is something we should take seriously for the importance that it holds.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:18
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I love how it talks about thankfulness as a Will that Christ has for us, the Will that GOD has for us, saying, “This is my Will for you child, that you live your life with the thankfulness that comes regardless of the circumstance, regardless of the stage of life that you are in.”
THANKFULNESS – A COPING MECHANISM
In my own journey, I have had seasons that I have battled anxiety and depression. I believe that it is something a lot of people can relate to, especially in this current generation. It is interchangeable, where I never know how it will happen or when it will occur. Thankfulness has had to become a coping mechanism in my life to say, “I am going to be thankful regardless of the circumstance.” Whether it’s a mental circumstance or a physical circumstance, I’m going to say, “Regardless of what I’m going through, regardless of how I feel, the Will that my Father has for me is that I should be thankful.” That is the Will I want to carry out.
A GOD OF GOOD GIFTS
JAMES 1:16-18 MSG
“So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.”
Thankfulness is a word of the season, as we are in November getting closer to the holidays. Thankfulness often coincides with gifts, specifically receiving a gift. There is nothing wrong with that, but the scripture shows us that there is something deeper here. When we understand that we serve a God of good gifts, everything good comes from Him. We need to recognize that there is a state of thankfulness that we should be living in, saying, “No matter my circumstance, no matter what I am going through, I can rely on my Father in Heaven. A Father who gives good gifts to his children.” So I know that no matter the season or circumstance, He will always be a consistent, stable Father. He is always going to be a good God who gives good gifts to his children.
THE GREATEST TOOL AGAINST DECEPTION
When we recognize this and decide to stand firm in our thankfulness, this will help us not stray off course. Another translation says, “Do not be deceived.” One of the best tools against deception (whether it is the deception of our mind, circumstance, or surroundings) is having a thankful heart.