The first blessing to be thankful for is God

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. It incorporates food, family, friends and the Lord.

I usually take a few moments to remember all the ways I am blessed, the people in my life and all the comforts I have. These things are worthy of my gratitude, but they aren’t the most important things in life.

As a Christian, I need to dig a little deeper when I think about the things I am thankful for. First of all, I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ. Because God sent his Son to this earth to teach us and to die for us, I have the assurance that I will have eternal life.

I am not sure saying “thank you” is enough.

Because of Christ, I have the ability to communicate directly with my God. Jesus taught me how to pray, to live and to die. He gave me hope beyond what this world has to offer and that is paramount. I praise God for it.

Christ also left the Holy Spirit here to strengthen my weakness (Romans 8:26) and to allow me to grow spiritually through prayer. The Holy Spirit comes to me when I need Him and when I ask. He enables me to have the knowledge and discernment to do God’s work.

I am also thankful for the Word of God. In Hebrews 4:12 it says, “For the word of God is living and powerful.” It is a complete guide to Christian life.

The Bible is a history book, a “how-to book” with documented examples of what to do and what not to do and a record of God’s love. The magical aspect of the Bible is that the more I read it, the more I want to read it and the closer I grow to God. It is truly a gift from my Creator.

The Bible is one thing that humans haven’t managed to mess up. God’s divine power allowed the meaning of the Bible to be preserved through thousands of hands over thousands of years and if that isn’t something to be thankful for, I don’t know what is.

As a Christian, I am thankful for my faith. Galatians 2:16 tells me that I don’t have to work my way to heaven. I have been given the gift of God’s grace and my salvation is secure.

All people are the beloved children of God. The Lord doesn’t care who I am or what I look like. Everyone has the opportunity to find salvation, and all we have to do is choose to take it. This is the greatest love of all and worthy of my gratitude.

Because God has shown me His great love, I can show love to others. This Thanksgiving, spread the love of God to everyone you know. Give your money, time and talents to help the less fortunate and those you love.

The bottom line is that because God loves you, you can love others and we all should be thankful for that.