Give Thanks to the Lord for Spilled Milk

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds”—Psalm 9:1 (NIV).

Did you know that giving thanks is not a spontaneous emotion? It’s a habit we must develop, according to an article by Pastor Rick McDaniel.

After reading McDaniel’s article, I contemplated the above statement. I had to agree with him. I’d never considered that giving thanks wasn’t an automatic response.

Think about a reaction you might have had, let’s say, to spilled milk. I used to get upset when one of my young children knocked over a glass of milk at the dinner table. (They are now grown with children of their own.) My first response was to jump up and grab a paper towel to sop up the milk, but I sure wasn’t thankful for the mess it made. In fact, I found myself griping about having to clean it up.

Being Grateful for Spilled Milk

Why should we be thankful for spilled milk? Looking back, I should have given thanks we could afford milk. Doesn’t that change your perspective? It has mine.

What does it mean to be thankful? It means appreciating, focusing on, and being grateful for what we have and not fixating on what we don’t. It’s not impossible, but it is challenging, especially when we’re bombarded daily with advertisers enticing us to buy their products.

During this season, stores display and promote their goods, hoping to increase their profit margin. Many begin promoting their wares in September. This makes it even more challenging to focus on what we already have, especially when merchants seem to overlook Thanksgiving, jumping from Halloween to Christmas.

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving 

This month, most of us will be blessed to sit down to a table groaning with Thanksgiving fare: turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, an assortment of vegetables and salads, and desserts like pumpkin and pecan pies.

But before we settle down to enjoy the meal, many of us will give thanks for God’s provision. After overeating, we’ll moan, “Oh, I shouldn’t have eaten so much. I feel miserable.”

I often feel guilty after such a feast. Even though I donate to several charities that provide a hot meal for the homeless and donate food to our church’s food pantry, I never feel like it’s enough. Instead, I should be giving thanks, not only for the meal I ate, but that God has provided more than enough for me so I can help others.

Being Thankful All the Time

Research by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky at the University of California, Riverside, reveals the powerful benefits of being grateful, but only if you give thanks consistently.

Lyubomirsky says, “If you don’t do it regularly, you’re not going to get the benefits. It’s kind of like going to the gym once a year. What would be the good of that?”

I’d never considered this comparison, but it rings true for me. If we want to be thankful each day, we need to actively seek ways to express our gratitude to God and to others.

Being Grateful Changes Our Attitudes 

Do you tend to focus on your problems more than your blessings? Cultivating an attitude of gratitude can lead to a constant awareness of each day’s blessings. The result is a more positive, gracious, and loving attitude.

One can always find reasons to complain. It’s part of our human nature. At first, it may take more effort to find reasons to be thankful, but the outcome will eventually change your outlook on life. Soon, your thoughts will turn to God and His blessings.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul writes, “Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.” Giving thanks should always begin with God. Start each day by expressing your gratitude to Him. You’ll be surprised by the result: a greater appreciation of His goodness.

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Photo by Anita Jankovic on Unsplash