“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:6-12

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you, I’m praying that it will be restful and you’ll each enjoy time with friends. I’m always aware at the holidays, that for some it is not a happy time and that it might feel difficult to be thankful. Sometimes it takes some introspection to identify what we have to be grateful for. But this brings up, for me, two points, one psychological and one spiritual.

The psychological point deals with letting go of resentment. Each of us has been hurt in our childhood and in our lives, some much worse than others. By the time we’re into our twenties, it becomes incumbent on us to let go of the continuing sense of violation or we end up in a perpetual state of being victims. Staying in a place of resentment and victimhood is the perfect recipe for misery. Jesus tells us to forgive those who have violated us – maybe for their sakes but much more for our own. The emotional recipe for happiness entails living in the present without our old baggage. It also entails adopting an attitude of gratitude – being thankful for the things and people we have. It’s easy to think that the crowd who has more is happier. It’s not the possessions that make for fulfillment and happiness, it’s the purpose and the attitude. And when we adopt that attitude, people begin to be much more attracted to us. It creates a positive context for our lives with other people.