Research shows that consistently grateful people are happier, more energetic, more hopeful, more helpful, more empathic, more spiritual, more forgiving, and less materialistic. They’re also less likely to be depressed, anxious, lonely, envious, neurotic, or sick.

Why would we not be grateful?  This is a discipline, a discipline of our mind, our will, and our nature.  We are hard wired by sin to complain, lament, bemoan, commiserate; regarding any circumstance we are experiencing. Even if we win the lottery we’ll complain about taxes and how many “new” friends we have.

The lead of Jesus was to thank his father daily, eventually even thankful for the “cup” that would not pass from his life. Imagine what our lives would be like if we had a complaining Christ, a bitter Jesus?  Let’s make this Thanksgiving a hallmark event in our life, a commitment to live differently, love differently, and think differently.