A Moment to be Thankful

All month long, I’ve seen people posting daily on Facebook about one thing they are thankful for.  I’ve read everything from little, insignificant things to big, grandiose blessings, but with every word written, it was obvious that deep gratitude was felt and it warmed my heart.

Personally, even though I see this done year after year,  I am hesitant to take on such a commitment, for fear of getting distracted and busy and forgetting to post my daily gratefulness.  Yes, I just admitted that publicly.

But the truth is, I often do forget to pause and pray and praise the One who showers me with blessings big and small, each and every day – not only during the month of November, but in the throws of normal life. I often do get distracted with busyness and family, and even doing ministry, and inadvertently neglect to express my gratitude to God for giving me the opportunity to be busy doing all those things He has allowed me to do and for all the blessings He has privileged me to have.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who struggles with this, but still, I want to be better.  So instead of just committing to be thankful during November, I want to make a personal commitment to myself and to God to be more thankful every day. To praise Him for the good, and the bad; the easy and the hard; the joy and the heartache. The things I understand, and the things I do not. To praise Him for who He is and what He has done for me.

So I decided to select a verse to memorize to hopefully help me focus on being more thankful, and I chose Colossians 4:2, which says “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”  Then I broke this simple verse down into four steps to help me remember to be thankful:

1 -Devotion to God

2  -Prayer

3 – Be Alert to blessings

4 – Have a thankful heart.

I think even I can handle four little steps. 🙂

When a heart is overflowing with thankfulness, there’s just not much room left for anything negative or bitter. There’s no room left to focus on how we’ve been wronged, hurt or mistreated, or how things aren’t the way we wished they were in certain areas of our life.

I know how easy it is to get sucked into complaining and worrying, and completely lose sight of all the things – tangible and intangible – that I have to be thankful for.   Oh how I desperately want my heart too full of God to allow anything not of God to pour in.

I’m claiming Colossians 4:2 as my theme verse through the end of the year – and who knows, maybe even on into next year as well. I want it to be so present in my mind that when I feel like my heart is overflowing, what spills out will be nothing but gratitude.

What verse helps you remember to be thankful?

 

4 Comments

  1. Laura Naiser on Monday, November 25, 2013 at 9:05 am

    Great post! I just wrote Colossians 4:2 on our chalkboard above our key rack so it can be a reminder to me and our family every time we leave the house and return again. I too struggle with getting busy and not being intentionally alert to the blessings God lavishes upon us. I really appreciate your great reminder to do so! Thanks.



  2. Kay Youngman on Monday, November 25, 2013 at 10:05 am

    “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psa. 106:1
    I know that God’s love never runs out. I am thankful for this.



  3. shelly on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 at 6:22 am

    When a heart is overflowing with thankfulness, there’s just not much room left for anything negative or bitter.

    I love this line! I am going to write it down and look at it throughout the day. Realize I have a choice. I can let negativity and bitterness live in me, or say this spot is taken with thankfulness.

    Thank you.



  4. Mary T on Friday, November 29, 2013 at 9:53 am

    Tracie, I had to come back and reread this post the day after Thanksgiving… what beautiful thoughts you shared as far as being so full of God, too full of God, that there is no room for anything negative…it is how I felt yesterday and still today! I agree that this will be a challenge after this thankful weekend as I return to work on Monday, but I am going to pray that I can stay on that upward spiral and keep looking through God’s window with a thankful heart! Hope your Thanksgiving was filled with blessings!



Headshot Flipped 2

Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.

Living-Unbroken-3DwithShadow

Available Now!

Subscribe to Tracie’s Blog

Receive the Living Unbroken Battle Plan Workbook for free if you subscribe to Tracie’s blog today!
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Tracie's Books