Bits & Pieces: Word of the Year – Thankfulness

By: Tom Wolff

Being a “Glass-half empty” guy, thankfulness and gratitude are often not my first responses to life in general!

I often fall short of my New Year’s resolutions so this year I have decided to try something different. I do have one tried and true resolution that has worked for me for years: “Stay close to Jesus, do what He says.” I’m staying with that one for the foreseeable future.

Still, it is a new year so I have a desire to at least try something new. I heard this idea of a ‘Word of the Year’ at my church last week and decided to adopt it. I will try to pick one word to adopt into my life in a greater way. This will involve some research about the word followed by a consistent effort to incorporate the word into my daily life.

My word for this year is “Thankfulness” also interchangeable with “Gratitude.” Being a “glass-half-empty” guy, thankfulness and gratitude are often not my first responses to life in general. However, if I claim to be a follower of Jesus, then the Bible commands me to be a thankful person. So, I will begin the journey this year by memorizing a dominant verse on the subject. I can’t tell you how many people I counsel who are seeking to know God’s will for their lives. I love that virtually everyone can find God’s will for their life in seconds. Ready?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 -18)

There you go! To know His will, we must first learn to become thankful people. I invite you to journey with me through this year as we explore what it means to be thankful, grateful people. This could be a life changer!

“No amount of regret will change the past. No amount of anxiety can change the future. But, any amount of gratitude can change today.” (Attributed to various authors)