What's hard about celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday? Is it:

A. All the travel it sometimes requires to be where you want to be? B. The prep work to insure the main meal is really good, and there's enough for all? C. Dealing with family strains/getting along with everyone who gathers? D. Trying to stay awake after consuming the feast and actually watching football? E. Sustaining the thanksLIVING long after Thanksgiving Day is done?

I believe E is hardest. Here's why ...

Thankfulness should be a thread running through the DNA of all true Christ-followers 24/7/365. This is the way Christians are to be clearly known regardless of “the score.”

All God's teams play this way. If the play is any different, maybe His followers are unwittingly playing for another team. A style of play centered in thankfulness has marked His championship teams all through the ages. Is it marking you?

Digging a little deeper ...

There are two sides to the thankfulness coin.

The easier side is this: giving thanks for favor received. When God's goodness is apparent, when we like how things turn out, the heart must sing a grateful tune.

The other side is harder: expressing thanks for favor not yet received. The Bible says to thank God in ALL circumstances.

This kind of thanksLIVING requires hard work. It means thanking God for the unseen, the “not yet,” the quite difficult. It ushers thanks into all circumstances, not just some.

When giving thanks intersects the “not yet,” championship toughness is really built, our faith muscle grows, and profound worship rises.

Reflect: Are you practicing daily thankfulness? Are you known for it, no matter what? Does it flow freely? What tough circumstances not yet lifted are you thanking God for?

A prayer to consider: Lord, make me a continually thankful person. Mark me deeply with appreciation and gratefulness. Flood me with these expressions every day, in all circumstances.

Thank You for what's hard in my life right now. By your Spirit, help me to keep doing the hard work of imitating Your Son's thanksLIVING. Amen.