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Writer's pictureJoshua Pauley

The Value of Thankfulness

Let’s approach this Thanksgiving holiday as an invitation to fullness - Thank-fullness.


Being thankful is more than a polite social norm as we are sometimes taught.  It’s a profession of the goodness of God.  It is an expression of humility to find contentment in today’s supply.  It is an attitude of gratitude that attracts the very presence and power of God.


The Bible is full of exhortations to “be thankful” because it is this simple and powerful emotion that can define a life and a legacy.

Colossians 3:15 – Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts… And be thankful
Philippians 4:6 – do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Both of my daughters had birthdays recently and received their very first bicycles, complete with a flowery basket on the handlebars.  Rose, our oldest who just turned 5, repeatedly told me for several days following her birthday how thankful she was for her new bike.  “Thank you, thank you really really much dad for my new bike” she would tell me, without any prompting.  Though she has every reason to be thankful, it was the voluntary expression of her thankfulness that touched my heart as a proud father delighting in the delight of my child.


As fallen humans we are not naturally grateful, yet we are still drawn to the fragrance of thankfulness in others.  God is also attracted to thankfulness.  When Jesus held up the five loaves and two fish, He gave thanks to God for it knowing it was sufficient for the need.  It was His sincere gratitude that attracted the miracle that multiplied the fish and loaves until all who were fed from it were also giving thanks. 


Thankfulness attracts the presence of God and the resources of heaven.  Thankfulness is the soil in which seeds of miracles are planted.  Thankfulness can change a spiritual atmosphere and draw others into experiences with God.


I hope you enjoy your holiday celebration and I encourage you to accept the invitation to live lives full of thanksgiving.

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