“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” ~ Colossians 3:17

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and I am sure I am not the only one thinking about what it means to be thankful. As we know, Thanksgiving is more than just a meal once a year. Thanksgiving should be a lifestyle. We should live Thanksgiving, consume (or eat) Thanksgiving, and give (or breath) Thanksgiving every day of our lives!

You see, we can live thanksgiving in our lives through action and acts of worship. When I am thankful to my wife, I show her in ways such as cleaning up after eating a delicious meal she made me. Or I go out of my way to acknowledge my gratitude for her through an act of thanksgiving. It is the same for our relationship with others, and with God. When we are thankful towards others, we should make the time to say “thank you” in ways such as a phone call, a letter, or an act of service. Even more importantly, when we are thankful to God we should show Him by showing His love to others, praising Him, and giving thanks to Him in Worship. Our lifestyle can be one of worship and thanksgiving to God just in what ideals we uphold in our lives, and striving to follow His Will and Word.

It may sound weird to say that we should be “eating thanksgiving”, but what I mean by this is that we should surround ourselves with influences that are thankful and grateful. What comes into us is what eventually comes out of us, so if we consume thoughts and ideas of thanksgiving then that is what is going to come out of us. For example, if I were to only watch and listen to movies and music that fed me feelings, thoughts, and attitudes of hatred or fear, then that is what is going to come out of me: hatred and fear. So by watching what we intake into our lives and that what we consume is pleasing and in worship to God, then that is what is going to come out of us: pleasing thoughts and actions that are in worship to God.

And finally, we should give, or breathe out, Thanksgiving every day in our lives. This ties into living a life of Thanksgiving, but instead of just living a life of Thanksgiving through our actions we should be sure to live a life of Thanksgiving with what comes out of our mouths as well. We should be constantly speaking words of thanksgiving, positivity, love, and hope. We should be uplifting others, and using our words to please God rather than to uplift our problems or worries.

By living, consuming, and giving Thanksgiving in our lives it will do more than just bless ourselves and bless God, it will bless those around us and create an atmosphere in our lives for God to move!

I pray that you have a wonderful thanksgiving with your families, and that if you are traveling that God’s supernatural protection will follow you wherever you go.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Mikel