You can say a lot of things about Thanksgiving Day.

It’s fun.

It’s nice to have a day off.

It’s wonderful to have family together.

I love the football games.

You probably have many other ideas you could add about Thanksgiving Day and being thankful.

One thing you cannot say is that giving thanks is easy. It’s not. Why?

–Because being grateful is something learned. No child comes thankful. Children show our self-centeredness. In their minds, the whole world revolves around them. We only become thankful when we see beyond ourselves and understand the larger world.

–Because we have so much. Being grateful has to do with appreciation for what you have. We live in a very privileged society. Recently, I read that if you make $35,000 a year, you make more money than 90% of the world. Is that percentage correct? The reason it doesn’t seem possible is because we have so much. It would be hard for someone in America to be thankful for $35,000 a year. That makes thanksgiving hard.

–Because of hard hearts and bad attitudes. Jealousy and envy make it hard to be grateful. An entitlement complex makes Thanksgiving Day seem insignificant.

–Because we leave God out of our lives. Thanksgiving is the most Christian of American holidays–even more so than Christmas! Giving thanks implies a giver. When you recognize the goodness and blessings of God, you make giving thanks more meaningful.

I hope you have had a great holiday, but I pray you will make giving thanks a part of your everyday activity. It’s not easy to do so, but it will make every day a better day.