Pastor Sean DeLawder
Woodsboro Evangelical Lutheran Church
(11/1) "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." (1 Chronicles 16:34)
This month a holiday is celebrated specifically for all of us to give thanks, of course it is Thanksgiving Day. For many of us, this day is spent with family and friends, we eat an abundance of food (sometimes for days afterwards) and we give thanks. Thanks for our family and friends, thanks for the food, thanks for the day off of work, thanks for our homes, thanks for the many blessings that God has bestowed upon our lives. Some of us will also spend the day being a blessing to others as we volunteer to feed the hungry and provide shelter and clothing to those who have no place to call their home. And this is a very, very good thing – but giving thanks and offering blessings to others is not something to be done just on Thanksgiving Day - God calls us to do this everyday. In the months of November and December giving and volunteering increases and I think in part because it is on our minds because of our Thanksgiving Holiday and Christmas
– but how can we continue this throughout the year?
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17)
The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are to always rejoice, give thanks and pray. Sometimes our lives and the events of the world cause us to forget God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. Our lives can be overwhelming, and let us be honest with ourselves, we don’t always feel like rejoicing and giving thanks. But God does want us to rejoice and give thanks every day because God is always with us and God lifts us up when we are down, rejoices when we rejoice, gives us hope when things seem hopeless – why? Because this is the will for you in Christ Jesus.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."(Philippians 4:6-7)
There are always many things that we can be anxious about. I know many people (and sometimes myself included), that are awake all hours of the night and worrying throughout the day about so many things – the events on the news, the climate change and natural disasters, job losses, medical concerns, wars and strife in our homeland, and on and on….. But again the Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians that we are not to worry about anything. He tells us to give your concerns to God and in doing so, do it with thanksgiving to God.
It is not just our scriptures that tell us to be thankful, research on gratitude has also shown the many benefits of living a life of gratitude. In an article published on August 14, 2021 by Harvard Medical School titled "Giving Thanks can make you happier" it states, "In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships."
In an article published on February 17, 2022 by Mindful.org, "Gratitude offers us a way of embracing all that makes our lives what they are." It goes on to say that it improves both our mental and physical health and that people who practice gratitude have fewer health complaints such as headaches, digestive problems, and sleep issues to just name a few. It seems like all of us would benefit from better mental and physical health and especially since it simply takes a conscious effort of expressing gratitude and acknowledging our blessings. It may take a little practice to get into this habit, but it certainly seems to be worth the effort.
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 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 3:15-17)
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. (Isaiah 25:1)
So let us be thankful – or at least do our best to be thankful, not just on Thanksgiving Day but every day. This is what God wills us to do and scientifically we are told that we are the ones who will benefit. But in actuality, we not only benefit but the people who we are grateful to and who we bless are also the ones who benefit. God’s will for us is to love God and to love our neighbor and we do this through gratefulness, prayer, service – we do this by our faith.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4)
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! (Psalm 150:1)
May you live a life filled with gratefulness and may you experience the peace of Christ each and every day with knowledge that God wants us to live a life of thanksgiving and praise.
I hope you will join us at Woodsboro Evangelical Lutheran Church – you are welcome always! We are located at 101 South Main Street, Woodsboro. Our Sunday morning worship begins at 10 a.m. For information about our church or any of our events you may call 301-845-4533 or visit our website at www.woodsborolutheranchurch.com.
Our Sunday services are posted each Sunday afternoon on our YouTube channel as well. We are having many events coming up including our monthly free community dinners which take place on the first Tuesday of each month, a special Homecoming service on November 5 at 10 a.m. – all are welcome with a lunch following the service, free Christmas Concert on December 10 and two Christmas Eve services and more… please visit our website for complete information.
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