While shopping for a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, a little boy made an interesting observation to his mother.

“Thanksgiving should come after Christmas. Then we would have more reasons to be thankful!”

It’s an interesting thought. After all, Christmas brings presents, celebrations, family gatherings, and plenty of excitement. The little boy was thinking he would have more reasons to be thankful, but we can have gratitude even when life isn’t going well.

In the fast-paced, bad-news culture in which we live, it’s easy to overlook our blessings. We hear about what is going wrong, worry about what might happen next, and sometimes become so focused on our circumstances that we forget the many reasons we have to praise the Lord.

Always Have Gratitude

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to make gratitude a continual part of our lives.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…” (Hebrews 13:15).

Notice the word continually. We aren’t told to offer praise only when life is good, our prayers are answered, or everything goes according to plan. We are encouraged to praise the Lord continually.

That doesn’t mean life is always easy or that we should pretend our struggles don’t exist. Sometimes, praise really is a sacrifice. It takes intentional effort to look beyond our challenges and remember the goodness of God.

Reasons to Be Thankful

We don’t give thanks because it’s been a perfect year or because everything in life is going our way. For many of us, that simply isn’t the case. However, regardless of our circumstances, we still have reasons to offer thanks.

Here are four reminders:

1. The Lord is continually with us. God promises never to leave us or abandon us. We don’t have to face today’s challenges alone. His presence is a constant source of comfort and strength.
2. The Lord never changes. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The world around us changes, our circumstances change, and people sometimes change their minds. But we can count on the unchanging character and promises of Jesus.
3. Our current circumstances are not permanent. Whatever we are facing today, it isn’t the end of our story. We have the promise of Christ’s return and the hope of spending eternity with him. There is something wonderful about knowing our best days are still ahead.
4. The Lord has given us the gift of life. Every new day brings another opportunity to experience his goodness, share his love, encourage someone, and make a difference. Even an ordinary day is a gift worth appreciating.

What’s on Your Thankful List?

What reasons do you have to be thankful today?

Take a moment to make a mental note of your thankful list. Don’t overlook the ordinary blessings. Sometimes, the things we take for granted are the very things we would miss the most.

Maybe life hasn’t gone the way you planned this year. Perhaps you’re facing challenges that make it difficult to see the good around you. Don’t let today’s troubles cause you to overlook yesterday’s blessings or tomorrow’s promises.

Dwell on the goodness of God, count your blessings, and continually offer him a sacrifice of praise.

Thanks for reading.