By: Tom Wolff

I stated in the last issue that thankfulness is my word of the year. My desire is to become a more thankful person – the glass half full instead of empty – that’s where I’m headed. To that end here’s a basic definition from Webster’s; “Thankfulness is a gratitude – acknowledgment of having received something good from another.” The word thankful in all its forms appears in the New Testament approximately 150 times! This means it’s a pretty important concept. In fact, thankfulness is a command. It’s not optional.

When we give thanks to God, we acknowledge that He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving, simply for who He is and all He has done. God, the Bible tells us, is the Giver of all good things. (James 1:17) The “goodest” of gifts God has offered us is eternal life through the death and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus. Through Him alone, when we truly repent, we find forgiveness and enter into a relationship with the Most High God. He offers us abundant life and promises to never leave us nor forsake us. This reveals God’s worthiness of our praise. Thankfulness is the primary way we enter into God’s presence. Psalm 100 exhorts us to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise!” Why would we want to do this? “For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever and His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:4,5)

When we choose to live in thankfulness, we are acknowledging both God’s worthiness and His goodness. When I live in thankfulness, I grow in the ways I see God’s hand on my life. For instance:

• His provision for my family through my job. 
• For top quality equipment. 
• Gratitude for His daily protection. 
• His help and guidance in severe weather.

In my year of thankfulness, my goal is to acknowledge God in every area of my life – in the big events and in the smallest details. I challenge you to start a “gratitude journal” and join me in becoming a more thankful person this year. I believe the more we look for the goodness and faithfulness of God, the more we will begin to see our glass as half full. As a result, we will experience less stress, anxiety, depression, and negativity. Life on the road is difficult enough, but it can be a much more enjoyable ride if we choose to focus on the goodness of God!