gratitude

There are seven different Hebrew words that can be translated into “glory” in English and five Greek words – but I will not be diving into each of those definitions in this article.

But I will dive into the word kavod. This one word is more than enough for us to chew on and contemplate as we understand what God’s glory – an intangible, ethereal, far-away concept, means for us in a very real sense, every day of our lives.

Kavod is related to the word kaved, meaning “heavy.” Weightiness. Although something being heavy might seem unrelated to angels singing in heaven, think about it for a moment.

“Romanticize your life” is a phrase you’ll see in the captions everywhere. The posts feature young women drinking luscious matcha lattes, putting on facemasks, lighting candles in their bedrooms, or journaling in nature. The idea is to care for yourself so fully that you feel like the main character in a movie. The more you cherish and celebrate the little things in your life, the more you fall in love with it and yourself. You start to notice the good all-around you and make every day meaningful.

It really is a whole mindset that someone can take on. And as a 20-something Instagram junkie, I am inundated with these images constantly. But I wonder if it’s something that Jesus would get behind if he were living today – or even if it’s something he did when he roamed our earth!

If we initiate saying thank you to God from our mouths, it will only be a matter of time before our hearts catch up and re-align with sincere gratitude. Psalm 34:1 teaches us, "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Let us learn to speak the language of thankfulness no matter what.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow, let’s resolve to be people for whom others give thanks. And let’s do so out of transforming gratitude for the One to whom we direct the thanksgiving of our tables and of our hearts.

Looking around my hometown of Los Angeles, my heart soars with gratitude. My home is safe, my bills are paid, and I am fortunate to be able to serve my family an ample Thanksgiving meal. And yet, I am fully aware that hundreds of thousands of Angelinos face a constant struggle just to have their basic needs met. My heart especially goes out to the valiant mothers who fight poverty every single day for the sake of their families.

The stillness of Thanksgiving is followed by the frenetic motion of the pre-Christmas holiday shopping days:  Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and then the unexpected day arrives. It is called Giving Tuesdays. What a refreshing day to follow in the spirit of Thanks-giving.

In light of today’s theme, the biblical exhortation to give thanks becomes even more compelling. In Psalm 100 we find seven such imperatives in the Hebrew, seven commands related to gratitude.

Even in the midst of tragedy, the writer of Lamentations could pray, “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life” (Lamentations 3:58). And one day “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). We can claim this promise: “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (v. 5).

The recipe for gratitude is simple. Give thanks to God in prayer; say, “Thank you,” to those who extend grace or favor to you; write thank-you notes; keep a gratitude journal; have a weekly family “Thanksgiving meal” where family members extend thanks to one another; incorporate gratitude—instead of complaints or cynicism—into your daily conversation. We have no shortage of reasons and opportunities to express gratitude to God and others. So be intentional in your pursuit to become a grateful person. It will benefit your Creator, your loved ones, and even yourself.

A South Carolina woman who recently celebrated her 107th birthday credits the blessings of God for her longevity.