Beautiful People, 

I hope you had a restful Thanksgiving break. The practice of thanksgiving has become a new spiritual discipline for me. Giving thanks to God, the Giver, for His gifts is prudent and a part of sanctification. Thanksgiving acknowledges God's gracious character and activity in our lives. "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever" (Psalm 136:1, KJV). The Psalmist paints a beautiful picture of an appropriate response to God's goodness and mercy; however, this depends on how we perceive/define God's goodness and mercy in light of our present reality. 

Theologian James Bryan Smith defines God's goodness as "that which works for the benefit or betterment of another. That which is good makes us better, heals us, restores us, improves us, strengthens us, and makes us right." God's goodness brings transformation, healing, and restoration to our souls. 

The process of sanctification (becoming more like Jesus in our thinking, feeling, and behavior) radically transforms our definition of good to align with God's good character. This transformation allows us to perceive reality from God's perspective—a perspective that leads us to thanksgiving. Why? Because when we see God in all aspects of life, engineering the bad and the good as tools of sanctification, our natural response is thanksgiving. This is why Paul can say, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV). God's will for you today is to live in thanksgiving because you know His radical intervention in your life. The spiritual discipline of thanksgiving is a sign of sanctification. When I give thanks to God in all situations, I discipline my soul to see God in all that I experience and will experience on both sides of eternity. Thanksgiving is a choice, a choice that brings me closer to God.