A Brief Foray Into More Thanks-Giving
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! (Psalm 147:7 ESV)
Sing
And suddenly the season of Thanksgiving is upon us. The official, sanctioned, calendric day that modern Americans set aside for expressing thanks is in one week.
Obviously, you do not need me to utter than we should be thankful more than once per year. But even with that knowledge, we do not really have a season of thanks, we have a day. Somehow fit in between meal preparation, turkey-eating, and football. Maybe you do, but my thanks giving on thanksgiving is not as heartfelt as my complaint-giving, or my worry-giving, or my discontent-giving.
But scripture can help us get out of that rut.
More than knitting our brows and TRYING harder to be grateful, we can be encouraged and challenged by God’s Word to develop that attitude of gratitude.
Psalm 147 begins our journey by urging us to use music to cultivate thanks-giving. Music has a strange and wonderful effect on our heart, our psyche, and our mind. I listen to most of my music on the radio. Lately, I have noticed that music amplifies my mood.
If I am cheerful, almost any song can seem more cheery. If I am worried, almost any song can seem more concerning. If I am bored, almost any song makes me want to change the station.
If we begin each day intending to be thankful, perhaps the songs we listen to can amplify that desire. Perhaps the word can remind you of God’s goodness, regardless of the lyricist’s ideas. Perhaps the melody can lift our hearts towards true joy, regardless of our dire circumstances. Perhaps our listening, even behind our consciousness, can get us started this year to have more than a day of thanksgiving.
The Psalmist seems to think so.
Give thanks in all things.