Thankfulness as a Way of Life

My husband and I recently returned from an extended road trip. We spent a good portion of our vacation on the twisty byways of West Virginia. One early foggy morning, I was especially thankful for the reflective squares placed between the white stripes on the road and the corresponding ones evenly spaced on the guardrails. There are no lights on these roads, save for the headlights of your own car. The reflective squares make the difference between safety and pulling an unintentional Thelma & Louise into a deep ravine. Most days I don’t pay attention to those reflectors. Even at night in Houston, there is so much light pollution, they don’t even register. But boy did we need them then. As Tim drove along, I thanked the Lord aloud for providing these reflectors for us. Just another opportunity to make thankfulness a way of life.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to have a truly thankful heart. When asked what we are thankful for, I think there are many truly valid, yet throw-down answers. Like food, shelter, clothing. Relationships. And of course, the “high spiritual” answers, which are also valid: God, His Word, Salvation, and other things like that. And while we should be thankful for these, we need to be careful we aren’t passively thankful for them. Rather, we should be actively thankful, with thankfulness as a way of life.

As the holidays draw near, I am reminded of a sentiment I saw a lot of last year.

Thanksgiving is a day. Christmas is a season.

I beg to differ. I think God’s Word does, too. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the growing churches.

• Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)
• Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

Many people view Thanksgiving as just a day. I beg to differ. God's Word teaches us to view thankfulness as a way of life. Share on X

Six times in the small book of Colossians, Paul exhorts the church to be thankful.

• We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. (Colossians 1:3)
• And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:12)
• Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.(Colossians 2:7)
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
• And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
• Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Colossians 4:2)

It’s clear from these verses (and many more), that God intends for us to view thankfulness as a way of life, not just a day on the calendar with wonderful food and family (not that I don’t love all of that!).

Thankfulness as a Way of Life Is a Catalyst for Transformation

Not only that, intentionally giving thanks changes us. Think about it.

When was the last time you were truly thankful? Maybe even desperately thankful? What were the circumstances?

In these times, we need help. We are powerless to affect some needed change. Then, someone intervenes on our behalf, changing everything. What is the state of our hearts at that time?

We now have hope. Where anxiety once ruled, hope is firmly in place.

We walk in peaceful humility. Even though we say thank you, somehow it doesn’t seem like enough. And while we may want to “return the favor,” that can cheapen the gift. Simply accepting a grace-gift requires humility.

We are content. When we are thankful, we accept our lot in life. We’re not worried, and we’re not trying to fix things that cause problems by adding or removing them.

We become others focused. When we aren’t focused on ourselves, we sense the needs of others and look for ways to meet them.

And most importantly …

God notices and it deepens our relationship with Him. Even Jesus noted when people thanked Him. Remember the story of the ten lepers? The book of Luke describes this encounter. Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem and a group of ten Samaritan men with leprosy called out to Him to have mercy on them. Jesus simply told them to go and show themselves to the priest. On their way, they were healed. But only one returned to give thanks. Jesus’s response? 

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:17–19)

Think about your own relationships and how they are affected by the simple offering and receiving of thanks. Your hearts are knit closer together.

These remind me of the following passages in the book of Philippians.

• Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4)
• Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus … I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:5-7, 11-12)

What does it look like to live with thankfulness as a way of life?

Hopeful. Gentle. Peaceful. Humble. Others-focused. Worry-free. Content.

Sounds good to me. Better than good! Rather than being caught in the frenetic energy of the holidays, I would love for us to capture this sense in our everyday thankfulness, and carry it with us throughout the next year.

How do we get here?

It may seem insignificant, but we start with small, everyday things. I believe this is how we develop thankfulness as a way of life. For example:

• Offer a brief but heart-felt thanks for something as simple as your morning cup of coffee or tea. Yes, it’s a first-world comfort, but we can be thankful for it. From there, it may be thankfulness for something in view that was a gift from a friend. Seeing it brings them to mind. You’re thankful for the way it adds dimension to your space. More importantly, you’re thankful for their friendship; and you lift a prayer for them as you thank the Lord for the gift once again.
• Maybe you love the mug you’re drinking out of. Thank the Lord for it. I firmly believe that my morning coffee actually tastes better when I’m drinking it from a special mug.
• Is it a “jeans day” at work?
• Did your children sleep through the night?
• Do you have access to a good grocery store with food you like?

Let’s shift to the spiritual.

• What is God actively doing in your life? What about in the lives of those you love?
• How is He providing for you?
• How is He speaking to you in your daily time with Him? Do you see a recurring theme?

This simple, but deliberate focus on thanking God for everyday things, helps shift our mindset from earthly things to heavenly ones. Eventually, thankfulness pervades our thinking.

I like that word: pervade.

• From Dictionary.com: to become spread throughout all parts of.¹
• From Merriam-Webster.com: to become diffused throughout every part of.²

Makes me think of decorator icing. Once you’ve blended all the ingredients so they are nice and fluffy, you add food coloring. As you continue mixing, the entire batch takes on color. It’s the same with thankfulness. It gets all in and around our minds. As a result, it colors our speech in the best way possible.

Practicing thankfulness as a way of life for everyday things throughout the day, helps make our “thanksgiving muscle” strong. Eventually, we can readily identify ways to be thankful even in difficult circumstances.

Your Holiday Prep

The holidays have not officially begun. Before they even get here, why not start building your thankfulness muscle? Next time you sit down to pray, begin with words of thanksgiving. Ask the Lord to make you aware of His grace-gifts. Then, as you notice them throughout the day, offer heartfelt gratitude. In this way, you will make thankfulness a way of life rather than just one day a year.

Below are some goodies to get you started. First, a brief thankfulness worksheet, which includes  some Scriptures and questions designed to challenge your thinking about what thankfulness truly is. The other is a basic list of everyday things I find myself being thankful for. Hopefully it will trigger more ideas for you. Both are free to download, with no obligation.

And remember, Jesus’ life and death are the greatest things to be thankful for. We can carry both Thanksgiving and Christmas with us throughout the year.

If you want to go deeper in your study of thankfulness, I have two Mini Bible Studies in my Etsy Shop.

¹ “Pervade Definition & Meaning.” Dictionary.com. Accessed September 8, 2025. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/pervade. 

² “Pervade Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster. Accessed September 8, 2025. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pervade.