Prepare Your Hearts for Thanksgiving

We spend quite a bit of time making plans for Thanksgiving. Planning what the menu will be, how many guests will be invited, we may decorate the house but, do we spend time preparing our heart and spirit to give thanks? I’d say that we generally don’t spend much time thinking about when we’ll spend time with God. I believe it is important to include God in our plans this year. 

Gratitude may not come naturally for many of us. Typically we focus on the negative side of things, which is expected because it’s how our brain is wired; it helps us survive if we’re faced with a threat. However, as Paul said in Philippians 4:8, we need to “fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Start giving thanks today so that we are ready for Thanksgiving. We should make a habit of being grateful. Any time we see or have something good, we should point it out and thank God for it. For some, this may not come easy; it’s a choice we have to make, and developing this habit will help us become more thankful. It’ll help us identify all the good things we have in our lives, which is sometimes taken for granted.

The secret to expressing our gratitude is contentment. Being happy with what we have, accepting and trusting that God has given us exactly what we need, and knowing that what we have is enough is key to prime our hearts for Thanksgiving. Preparing our hearts for this Thanksgiving means taking some time to reflect on all the blessings God has given us. To get our hearts ready for this Thanksgiving, we need to think about the people in our lives that we are thankful for, the memories of joy that they bring. Think about those happy little moments throughout our day. Reflect on all the times God has answered your prayers and all the goodness that God has brought to you. 

We don’t have to feel guilty if being thankful doesn’t come easy, God knows our hearts, and he knows we are trying. Gratefulness will inspire our own generosity and make us more giving.

Be thankful for all you have because while it may seem insignificant when you have it, it will be important when you need it.