By Sarah-Kate Duran
Expressing thankfulness and gratitude should not be an annual November ritual. It shouldn’t be some obligatory activity we participate in because it’s a social expectation this time of year.
Thanksgiving is the literal key into coming into God’s presence. Psalm 100:4, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” These structures are referring to the time of the tabernacle and even the temple. There were several zones/tiers before reaching the Holy of Holies where the presence of God would reside in the Ark of the Covenant. So, to get near to the Lord, even the first step is to start with thanksgiving. Just don’t bombard His throne when you pray with a list of demands. How rude! Express your gratitude for Who He is and what He has done for you. Going past that, you give Him praise to get into His courts. By the way, there is a difference between worship and praise. Praise is telling others how good He is, like you would tell someone about that new movie you saw or restaurant you visited. Worship is telling GOD how good He is.
But I digress. Now the amazing part for us alive today is when Jesus died on the cross at Golgotha, at that exact moment that veil which separated the Ark of God’s presence in the Holy of Holies in the temple was ripped in two from top to bottom. That means we don’t have to be kept out of His presence by rites and rituals. We can go straight to Him without a priest having to do it for us! Praise God! But let’s not become so familiar with the Almighty that we just throw some random words at Him expecting Him to move on our behalf like some genie we released by rubbing some lamp. You come to the Lord with words of thanksgiving and praise FIRST. It’s only proper.
It is imperative for you to get anywhere good in life to express gratitude. Expressing gratitude should be a daily habit — like breathing and brushing your teeth. You will never get anywhere successful in life without gratitude. We give thanks to whom it is due. The Almighty should be at the top of the list and the first thing you do. You are not beating your own heart. As your day goes on express gratitude to your fellow man. Sincere gratitude. For example, don’t just say thank you to the server or the clerk thoughtlessly out of habit. Express gratitude for how someone served you. Doing this causes you to stop, think, and be intentional. This will cause you to be a person of advancement and increase. As you leave someone better than when you first encountered them, that will start a ripple effect, and that person will feel the positivity from you and unknowingly pass it on to others.
I challenge you when asked what you are grateful for this time of year, don’t be vague and broad with your answer. Be specific. Don’t just say, “Family.” What about your family are you thankful for? I’ll go first:
I am not just thankful for health — I am thankful that God has healed my mind this year. I have been in very low and dark places in the past. But I have been led this year in a renewal of my mind that is worth more than all the gold in the world. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sarah Kate Duran is an independent columnist for The Atascadero News and Paso Robles Press; you can email her at alphabeth@tcsn.net
