Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks.
It is officially that time of year! You guys know what I’m talking about…FALL. My favorite season. It’s the time of year that everyone gets so excited about. It’s when cool weather blows in, we get to wear cute outfits, have bonfires, spend time with family and eat lots and lots of food. What else could you ask for, right? If you are anything like me, you look forward to this for months in advance. You start mentally preparing by the end of the summer because you are so tired of that summer sun. Fall just can’t come soon enough! There’s just something about this time of year that brings me so much joy. One of those things being Thanksgiving.
While everything listed above is definitely fun and exciting, there is so much more to this season. Thanksgiving is such a sweet and important time for a lot us. It is a time where we get to come together with our loved ones and celebrate. We spend time with our families and host “friendsgiving” with our closest friends. We make s’mores over the firepit in the back yard and we go on walks to enjoy the cool and crisp air. There are so many different ways people celebrate and find joy, but one of my favorite things to do in this time is to reflect. I love to take a moment in my quiet time to think back on the year and write out what I’m thankful for, then sit down with my friends and family to discuss it. Doing this has been a really cool process for me because it allows me to fully recognize and focus on every moment that the Lord has shown up in my life. It’s really cool to have gone through each situation and now be on this side of them, the good ones and the more difficult ones, because now we can look back and more easily see the presence of the Lord in each moment. I pray that it helps us to respond to each scenario that we walk through with a grateful and humble heart, no matter the circumstance.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says this, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." REJOICE, PRAY, GIVE THANKS. Three things that we are so clearly called to do but forget about sometimes. That’s why I love this holiday. It’s a reminder of the everlasting and abundant grace of God. Humbling yourself before God and showing Him gratitude is recognizing His goodness, His glory and our very present need for Him. It’s choosing to see His faithfulness and provision even in the midst of a hard situation you’re going through, or a busy season when you feel like you don’t have any extra time or effort to give. We aren’t called or expected to show gratitude to the Lord just when things seem really good. If we only recognize God’s goodness when we get what we want, we would have nothing to cling to when we are hurting. Giving thanks is not just about being thankful in the good times, but it’s choosing a heart of gratitude when things are hard, as well. With this perspective, we can find hope in the Lord and feel freedom in knowing that He has our best interest at heart and works all things together for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)
Take time to reflect on this year. I challenge you to write it out, talk about it with a friend, share it with a family member, whichever you prefer to do. Recognize God’s goodness in your life and REJOICE in Him and what He has done in you. PRAY a prayer of gratitude for all the good you have been blessed with and also pray a prayer that the Lord would soften your heart for you to find peace and joy in the moments that felt difficult and left you feeling defeated. GIVE THANKS that the Lord is still good and sovereign over both of those scenarios. In the easy and in the messy, He is greater. Remember that there is intention behind everything He does, and we can either choose to let it defeat us or let it sanctify us. I pray that every time we choose to be sanctified so that we can look more like Christ through every situation and we can cling to the hope of the gospel when things get tough.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am so thankful for every single one of you. Remember that you were made on purpose and for a purpose, so GO LIVE IT OUT!
Challenges:
1. Rejoice! Find joy and delight inside of you and REJOICE in the Lord today! Write out what the Lord has done for you this year or talk about it with a friend. Don’t shy away from bringing glory to God, who deserves it all!
2. Pray! Prayer is so powerful and is something we should never grow weary of. It draws us nearer to the Lord and allows us to grow closer to Him and look more like Him every day.
3. Give Thanks! No matter the circumstance, present a grateful and humble heart to God. He shows up for us every day, loves us unconditionally and provides us with exactly what we need. Recognize His presence in your life and give Him the thanks He deserves.
Prayer:
Lord, THANK YOU. I just want to take some time to rejoice and to give thanks. You are a good Father. You love us, protect us, provide for us and are gracious to us. I pray that as we go throughout our day and reflect on this past year, we would just praise you. Praise you for all that you have done for us, the good and the difficult. May we recognize your abundant grace and mercy and show you the gratitude that you deserve. We know that in every situation, we can choose to follow you and to see your goodness in it and I pray that we would choose that every single time. That we would choose to continue following you and receiving your love and kindness. I pray for every person reading this, that they would all take time to reflect on this year and enjoy the company of those around them this Thanksgiving, We love you and we praise you. In Jesus’ name! Amen!