Think Thankfully!

What are you thankful for? If you have to take time to think of something, you may not be really that thankful. Thankfulness should flow off our tongue easily and quickly! 

Think thankfully is a way of life! Every American and most in developed countries should be thankful. We are not entitled to what we have but we are blessed beyond compare! I don’t think I would be wrong to say that 99% of Americans are wealthier than most people of underdeveloped countries! Research proves me right. 

We have been given much! The facts don’t lie. Americans as well as most others in developed countries are wealthy! We have more than we deserve! Am I right? 

My challenge today is an obvious one. We need to be thankful. The Bible tells us, “...whatever is pure or lovely, think on these things....” (Philippians 4:8) Why? Our minds often trick us. We can think ourselves into negative behaviors. We can convince ourselves that we don’t have enough. We are less content! 

This Thanksgiving, we should think about the bounty of blessings we have! God has blessed us without exception! If you are reading this article, you are fortunate enough to have technology and likely a computer that most don’t! 

So, think thankfully! Be content and realize how blessed we are! 

Thank You Is Not Just a Polite Expression!

I love it when I hear people use polite statements like please and thank you. These are common ways to express respect and kindness. I think that it is becoming rare but there is hope that it will not become extinct. 

In the age of extreme political views that find fault and demonstrates insulting responses to disagreement, the virtues of niceness is getting lost. It is hard to imaging that our social norms have been reducing our expectations on the way we treat one another. Being polite has lost it meaning, seemingly being eroded more each day.

I am not a sociologist but I notice as do you, that being polite is less and less experienced, especially over social media platforms and online interactions. Our politicians don’t seem to lead proper etiquette well either! 

Being polite is also a form of encouragement as Proverbs 12:25 tells us. It is uplifting to hear positive affirmations like thank you! We can do a lot of good just by being nice!

adjective, po·lit·er, po·lit·est.

showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil.

In a recent online reports like John Hopkins, we can study the facts and see how true our assumptions are. A recent researches shared that proper etiquette is like traffic lights. Professor Dr. Pier Forni says that the traffic lights of human interaction. They make it so we don’t crash into one another in everyday behavior.”

It is not a generational issue but it is revealing how often being polite is passed down (or not) from one generation to the next. Consider the following generational gaps on good manners. 

In recent decades, young people have begun asking questions not asked before, including, “What’s the big deal about good manners?” Or to frame it another way: “What’s in it for me to sit up straight, say please and thank you, shake hands, and keep my mouth closed while chewing food?”

Being able to teach good manners to adults is hard work. We can no longer assume that people will act professional. It starts when we are young but consistent reinforcement of good manners matter! 

The Bible is filled with many virtues that speak to this subject so well. Verses like, Philippians 1:27, “...let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel.” And Acts 17:11, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Or even in James, the Bible speaks about controlling the tongue.

There just may be a connection with the lack of virtue being taught with the decline of the Bible in everyday conversation. We can do better! No matter our political view or disagreements, we should be able to express kindness! Saying thank you is not just a polite expression, it reveals the heart!

Here is a helpful resources. Age appropriate guidelines are helpful. Read more. 

   

More For Less!

It’s that time of year where we seem to evaluate our lives to momentarily stop and say, “thank you.” All the other times of year we seem to just rush on to accumulate and to add more into our lives. Thanksgiving hardly passes and we’re already starting to gather more stuff. Even Black Friday, which is traditionally after Thanksgiving is now pushing us to purchase as early as possible.

We love the tag-lines and the sales gimmicks that try to help us justify exactly what we really want to possess anyway. Phrases like, “more for less,“ becomes a central theme and philosophy but somehow justifies our actions. We might even say that we are thinking of others while at the same time purchasing more for ourselves because, after all, it was on sale.

I’m struck by how easy it is for us to become materialistic and at the same time less compassionate for the least and the lost. Many assume that poverty equals laziness. People often say that if people work hard enough they can get ahead but, that doesn’t always add up. Some might even say that God blesses those that work hard enough in which I’m not sure is theologically accurate because even in His blessing many are still poor and many remain content.

I will say however, I do like the idea of more for less. It seems as though that the more thankful I am the less I seem to really need. Contentment is the opposite of accumulation. I believe that it is not what we have that defines who we are but it is in what we give that demonstrates best! 

I love the church sign I saw one time that had the simple phrase, “Do you do ThanksLiving?” Having a grateful heart is a lifestyle more than just a simple list of actions. It is a way of life. It’s not just a season of the year that we return thanks but it is an ever present and common expression that lives in the heart.

Perhaps this year we need to not just celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving but we need to commit ourselves to a way of living that is both generous and kind. As we enter into a season of giving, Let’s decide that our greatest need is actually to give and not receive, to be grateful and not greedy!