Is it ever possible to be too thankful?

Not in my books.

Especially when Thanksgiving Day involves your favourite foods; roast turkey with all the trimmings, cranberry sauce, potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie.

That’s why Canadians who visit relatives in the States in the fall are lucky: they get to celebrate Thanksgiving Day twice.

This year, Canadian Thanksgiving is today, Oct. 9, while Americans celebrate their Thanksgiving on Nov. 23. Canadians popping across the border to spend time with American relatives on their holiday get to have an encore of the Thanksgiving feast.

This is not a problem if you love turkey, as I do. (If you don’t, please invite me over and I’ll eat your share for you.)

This got me thinking: is it ever possible to be too thankful to God?

Again, my answer would have to be no.

It pleases God greatly when we thank Him for what He’s done in our lives.

For the big things, like our salvation and relationship with Him, our families and our health, and our work. But also for the smaller things: the beauty of a flower, the joy of friendship with other believers, a situation working out better than we’d expected.

I think God loves it when we go overboard with our Gratitude to Him, finding as many reasons as we can to thank Him.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

The fact is, gratitude not only pleases God, it’s good for us. Grateful people are happier people than chronic complainers.

Even though it can be hard to be grateful to God when we’re going through hardship, it’s still a good idea. Gratitude shifts our focus off of our problems and gives us a bigger perspective: that God is in control of the situation and that He can bring something good out of it.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Lack of gratitude on our part is something God takes seriously. It damages our fellowship with him and reflects a sinful attitude. I believe it may even hurt Him.

Consider the story of Jesus and the lepers, as told in Luke 17. Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one, a Samaritan, returned to thank Him. Jesus said:

“Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17)

I’ve always felt that there was a note of sorrow or despondency in Jesus’ words. I think it broke his heart that nine of the ten didn’t bother to thank him for the wonderful gift of healing he’d just given them.

When we fail to acknowledge the blessings God has bestowed on us, we grow proud and hard-hearted. We begin to take Him for granted, or even take credit ourselves for the good things we enjoy in life. We displace God and instead put ourselves on the throne.

But notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:7:

“What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?”

So let’s be effusive in our gratitude to God. There’s no such thing as being too grateful to Him!

© 2023 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.