As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we thought it might be good to remind ourselves that thankfulness is God’s idea. The Bible is filled with commands to give thanks to God. Being thankful helps us to see the world and our problems through God’s eyes. When we are thankful, we are thinking like heaven, even though our circumstances seem more like something else. We hope you will be blessed by this downloadable article on thankfulness and that it will help you to lay hold of these truths in greater measure. Have a happy and thankful Thanksgiving!

Excerpt:
There’s something odd about thankfulness. It seldom seems to fit the situation. In a society of high expectations and instant gratification, people who are thankful for the good things in life seem rather quaint—naïve, sweet, and sentimental. Thankfulness seems like a mindset for people whose lives revolve around politeness and thank you notes.

It’s an even tougher sell when we think about being thankful in the midst of painful circumstances. Then, the encouragement to be thankful seems insensitive, even cruel.

Continue reading by downloading a reprint of the complete Journal of Biblical Counseling article (PDF)

Sue Lutz was a counselor at CCEF for 15 years and was series editor for CCEF's books and booklets. She now counsels at her home church, New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, Pa., where her husband is senior pastor. She and her husband have three grown sons and three grandchildren

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