Be thankful for the little things

Thank God for everything, even the small things in life. Photo via Flickr/Creative Commons.

By Chanda Temple

Tonight as I worked on a blog post, I couldn’t figure out how to size a certain photo. I kept trying and nothing worked. Then all of a sudden, something appeared on my computer screen. It was just what I needed to fix the problem.

I then looked up and thanked God. He made it possible.

Right after I did that, I remembered my pastor’s message from this morning: In All Things, Give Thanks. Citing Matthew 14:15-21, my pastor gave us five ways on how to give thanks. With this being Thanksgiving week, I thought it would be a good time to share them.

When was the last time you thanked God for a sunrise or a sunset? Photo by Ojie Paloma via Flickr/Creative Commons.

1) Give thanks for even the smallest things

We always want to thank God for the big house, big screen TV and the good car. But the big things in our lives are not the most important things.  “A lot of folks can’t come this morning because they were enjoying their big bed … and their big TV,” my pastor said. But we need to remember to thank God for the small things because they are what matter. When was the last time you thanked God for the value of a good friend, your family, food on your table, those praying for you, the air you breathe and even that car that doesn’t look like much but gets you from place to place?

2) Give thanks all the time

Jesus not only gave thanks for meals but many other things. Did you know that everything you have was made possible because of God?

3.) Give thanks in all circumstances

If we’re in the casino and the numbers line up just like we want, we’d be quick to shout, “Thank you, Lord!” But do we thank God when we are having a hard time, when someone has hurt us in a relationship or when we hate our job? It’s easy to give thanks when things are going well, but we also need to give thanks when we are facing challenging situations. We must have a heart of thanksgiving in difficult times.

4) Give thanks publicly before men and women

Some people are quick to say they pray privately because they are shy or they don’t want to share their prayers in public. But when you pray publicly, you honor God. You are saying you are not ashamed of God and that he supplies all your needs. “We can’t be private in our faith, not when the Lord has been public with us,” my pastor said. “God has been too good to you for you to keep silent.”

Prayer and thanking God work. Photo by Guppdas via Flickr/Creative Commons.

5.) Give thanks unto God

Now, this probably sounds like a repeat of the previous tips. But keep reading. Someone probably complimented you today on your suit or dress. What did you do? You said, “Thank you.” We tell everyone else thank you, but we forget to thank God. When we wake up in the morning, the first thing out of our mouths should be “Thank you, God.” We should also thank God for our body size, our height, being young, old, retired and even the teeth we have to brush. Think about it: There is someone out there wishing they could be a size 2 or a plus size. There are even people wishing they had teeth to brush or hair to comb. If you have them, thank God.

Chanda Temple is a former reporter now working in public relations. She blogs about being better in business and more at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chandatemple.