Thanksgiving as a Lifestyle

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it

It is possible to maintain a consistent attitude of gratitude. Someone once said, “Before you think of improving or focusing on what you lack, start by being grateful for where you are and what you have.”

There is a major difference between:

• having a day of thanksgiving, and
• living a life that shows thanksgiving.

One is an event; the other is a posture of the heart.

I’ve come to believe that the cure for dissatisfaction is thanksgiving. Wanting more is not wrong—God desires increase for His children. But before reaching for more, have you paused to appreciate the “less” you have now?

Think about it:
The very reason you desire more is because you already have something. If you had nothing, even what you now call “less” would be a dream.

Someone once said, “You might be living in someone else’s dream.”
Sit with that for a moment.

Luke 17:15-16 (NIV): One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

The Power of Returning to Give Thanks

In Luke 17, ten lepers were healed, but only one returned to thank Jesus. Even if Jesus hadn’t asked about the others, we would still ask:
“Where are the rest?”

In the ancient world, priests had the authority to declare a leper clean and restore them to society. That’s why Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest.

But here is the striking part:
The man who returned didn’t wait for the priest’s approval to give thanks.
He didn’t need confirmation.
He didn’t need a certificate.
He didn’t need the situation to be “fully settled.”

He simply recognized the goodness of God—and he responded immediately.

Today, many believers want God to completely remove them from the situation before they show gratitude.
We want the breakthrough first, and then we will give thanks.
We want to see the outcome first, then we will praise.
We want His Word to be “proven” by circumstances before we honor Him with gratitude.

But gratitude that waits for proof is not gratitude—it’s negotiation.

Gratitude Comes From Practice

Scripture doesn’t say the Spirit prompted the healed man to return. There was no voice, no reminder, no supernatural nudge.

He returned because he was already living a life of thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was normal to him.
It was his habit.
It was his pattern.

And here’s the challenge:
If you don’t practice gratitude daily, it won’t suddenly show up in difficult seasons.
If you’re not used to thanking God for small things, you won’t thank Him for big ones.

To make it even more interesting, the man who returned was a Samaritan—someone considered an outsider.

It makes you wonder:
Is it possible that unbelievers sometimes live more gratefully than believers?
Are we, who know God, waiting for Him to “do something big” before we thank Him—while others are already living lives filled with gratitude?

Takeaway for the Week

Begin practicing everyday gratitude.
Don’t wait for a miracle, a breakthrough, or perfect circumstances.
Thank God today—for what you have, for where you are, and for who He is.

Gratitude grows when it is practiced, not postponed.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name. Ameni!