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As Christians we are called to be a thankful people. So why is it so hard sometimes?
Don’t get me wrong! I have a lot to be thankful for. This year specifically, I give thanks for my family, especially for our second baby who was born in October. I’ve also been blessed beyond measure by my new role at SSI where I am being challenged to grow personally and professionally. It’s important to recognize the incredible blessings that have been poured out on each and every one of us. Colossians 3:17 tells us that “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
So why do we often struggle to be thankful? In our world there is a profound lack of joy and thanksgiving. It’s a world where happiness is fleeting and pain is constant. We are constantly reminded of the broken and sinful nature of humankind. Try as we might, you can’t simply create an attitude of thankfulness on your own. We struggle when we look to those around us for our joy instead of looking up.
If you desire a true spirit of joy and of thankfulness, there is only one way to find it—not through a self-help book, spiritual guru, or anything of this world—but through a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Through Him there is lasting peace, contentment, love, and joy. Only then can we truly be thankful.
Through every struggle we have an eternal hope, a promise that all will be made new. It is that hope and that promise that should give us all a lasting spirit of thankfulness and joy.
This Thanksgiving, I praise God for His grace and mercy to me, that I might be called a son of God. Through Him I have found joy, I have found rest, and I give thanks for that.
“And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:52
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Joseph Cecil first attended SSI in 2009 and has been involved with his community and Michigan’s political landscape ever since. He now serves as the Chief Operations Officer at SSI. He and his wife Charlie Ann have two sons, Josiah and Ezekiel. Outside the office, Joseph enjoys spending time with family and is an active member of his church.
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Disclaimer: The views presented in this blog are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the position of the Student Statesmanship Institute. SSI is a non-profit educational organization and provides this blog as a platform for those who have been involved in our program to engage and share thoughts related to current events, issues of the day, and personal experiences, but does not necessarily endorse the content therein.
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