The Privileged Life: Thankfulness in Advent
If you look back at Pilgrims who came to America in the early 1600s, they celebrated their first “thanksgiving” with a feast of praise despite what they had endured. Many of these settlers lost loved ones and suffered from hunger, disease, and threats during the first year. Yet they were thankful for survival and the freedom to worship God in spirit and truth.
How often do we have the same spirit of thankfulness? How many times do we forget God’s generosity to us in the face of distress, anxiety, and fear?
Maybe you’re going through a lean season. Maybe you’re unemployed, enmeshed in a crisis, or dealing with illness. It’s hard to be thankful in tough situations. I think especially of the folks in our mountains who lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods in the recent hurricane floods.
Whatever your holiday mindset as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, whether it’s the stress of shopping or family conflicts, take a few minutes each day to focus your attention on one or more of God’s gifts to you.
Think about the fruits of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). He provides many others. How about hope, strength, refuge? Wisdom, rest, courage, forgiveness? His word? Think of specific treasures—even challenges—God has given you to bring you closer to Him.
As you read through your Bible this Advent, thank our Savior for each gift that comes to mind. For specific daily prompts, I’ve created some new tent cards with verses (PDF attached at the bottom of this post). You’re welcome to print them out, pray through them, and share them with others.
