The blessings of home are perhaps the most obvious blessings—those of family, food, shelter, health, work, and the Body of Christ. However, they are also the ones we most often forget to give thanks for. Let’s make an effort to remember these gifts even in the practical and mundane routines of daily life. They are tremendous blessings from our Father!
Blessing One: Family
The Closest Ones
Parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews—our families are our greatest blessings. They are a gift from God to us. They are the ones with whom we share special memories and inside jokes. They laugh with us and cry with us.
It’s easy to take our family members for granted when life is going smoothly. We call them when we remember to. We visit them when it’s convenient for us. Yet in times of tragedy—an illness, a death, a serious accident, a job loss—we are reminded of the blessing of family, of the comfort and wisdom they bring us.
Take every opportunity to cherish your loved ones today. Don’t wait for tomorrow. If you’re upset with a family member, forgive them. If you’ve neglected them, give them a call. If you’ve rebelled against your parents, go home with the humble attitude of a repentant prodigal. If you’ve been terse with your kids, give them an extra hug. If you live far away, work harder to stay in touch. Make every effort to take care of your family as well as you can.
Our families are precious blessings that should be lavished with prayer. Pray for their salvation, for their spiritual growth, and for their physical health. Pray as Paul prayed for the church in Colossae, “That [they] may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that [they] may walk worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:9-10).
God created and designed the family. It’s part of His plan for us. Spend a few moments praying for your family and for those who are like family to you. Thank God for the gift each of them is to you. Then take some time to call, text, or write notes of thanksgiving to those that are especially on your mind.
Blessing Two: Home
Thankful Above, Below, and Around
Well-known for building houses around the world, Habitat for Humanity works to place people in affordable and safe homes. The house Habitat for Humanity provided for one woman, Brenda, allows her to “maneuver her wheelchair into every room of her new home—something that wasn’t possible in her prior apartment.” The home includes a roll-in shower and lowered cabinets to help her navigate safely and easily. Brenda said, “I’ve never been able to live in a home that was accessible. I just had to make do with what was available that I could afford.”1
What a blessing Brenda’s new home is for her!
For Brenda, home means being able to access her entire house while in her wheelchair. For others, home is the place where the fire crackles each winter evening or where the windows let in the sunlight on a bright, spring day. Our homes, big and small, keep us safe and dry during stormy weather and are places of comfort when we feel weary. The soft rug on the floor, the smell of cookies baking in the oven, or the sound of laughter around the dinner table—all of these and more can remind us of our home.
Some of us have been blessed to live in the same home for years, while others have created a home numerous times and in multiple cities. Either way, the homes we live in are a blessing from the Lord. A blessing that protects, comforts, and refreshes us.
Thank God today for the blessing of your home. Walk slowly through your home, thanking Him for the roof over your head and for the floor beneath your feet. Thank Him for the walls and the windows and everything contained within them. Then thank God for the people who have filled your home with laughter and memories.
Blessing Three: Nourishment
Dance, Pray, Pizza!
One day my wife, Donna, came upon a mother with two little girls who were standing in front of a convenience store in our community. At first, she drove past them, but she knew in her heart she was supposed to help them. So she went to a nearby pizzeria and bought a pizza. When she returned, she handed the woman some money and gave the pizza to the little girls. As she told me the story, she choked up.
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“Honey,” she said, “I have never seen two little girls so hungry and so excited to get a pizza.”
For some, the source of their next meal is unknown. For others, the refrigerator and pantry are always fully stocked. Either way, each meal and each snack are a blessing from the Lord. The nourishment we receive gives us energy and nutrients to accomplish what God has called us to do each day. We pause and pray before meals in acknowledgement of God’s gift of nourishment.
Before He fed the four thousand in Matthew 15, Jesus paused and lifted up His voice in a prayer of thanks. Before feeding the five thousand with the young boy’s bread and fish in Luke 9, He did the same. And at the Last Supper, He gave thanks before the meal (Matthew 26:27).
A prayer of thanksgiving before we eat should be more than a habit; it should be a time of reflection on God’s goodness to us. Whether alone or with our families, whether eating at our own table or joining others at a restaurant, it’s appropriate to pause long enough to thank Him from whom all blessings flow. Each time you eat a meal today, thank God for providing you with food and nutrition.
Blessing Four: Provision
Right on Time Blessings
G. Christian Weiss, a popular Bible teacher, began his ministry in northern Minnesota where the winters were harsh and long. One evening, as his wife served a bowl of potatoes for supper, she said, “This is it.” Their pantry was exhausted. Bowing their heads, they thanked God for the potatoes and reminded Him of their needs.
A knock sounded at the door. “We were expecting a crew of workers today,” said the visitor, the wife of a forest ranger, “but they phoned to say they weren’t able to get through. I had a big dinner prepared for them, and my husband and I will never be able to eat all that food before it spoils. Could you come over and have supper with us?”
In a few minutes, the Weisses bowed their heads again to pray over a meal—not one of boiled potatoes, but of “roast duck with all the trimmings, vegetables, and pie.”2
Just as God provided for the Weisses through the generosity of a neighbor, He provides for us as well according to His own best timing. He provides a new job exactly when we need one. He provides an unexpected check in the mail to cover the cost of an unanticipated car repair. In His perfect timing, He meets our needs in many different ways.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells us, “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:31-32). Our Heavenly Father knows our needs even before we ask. And when we do ask, let it be with the awareness that He has already been at work to meet the need. So pray and trust, and let Him provide and bless. He will meet our needs. Be thankful today for the never-ending supply of provision that flows from our Almighty God.
Blessing Five: Health
Take a Deep Breath
Millions of people worldwide suffer from debilitating illnesses like Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis. No one can truly understand the frustrations and difficulties caused by these illnesses unless they are personally affected by them. These diseases can be difficult to manage and take their toll on individuals and their families and caregivers.
Many healthy people are incredibly thankful for the gift of health. But at times those who aren’t plagued with a life-altering disease may take their good health for granted, not fully understanding the daily blessing of a fully functional body.
In writing to his friend Gaius, the apostle John said, “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). The body’s ability to stay healthy is truly a gift from God. When we come down with an innocuous illness like a cold, we are thankful when the sore throat, congestion, and cough disappear. The ability to take a deep breath is a true blessing! Giving thanks for our health (whether good or bad) is evidence that we understand that our bodies are not our own; they belong to God.
Perhaps you’ve heard people pray, “Lord, we thank You that we are as well as we are.” None of us are in perfect physical shape; all of us are subject to illness. But in heaven we’ll be perfectly whole. Until then, we can express our gratitude to God for whatever degree of health we have by being good stewards of these miraculous bodies in which we work, serve, and play each day. Thank God today for the health He has given you. Thank Him for the miracle that is your body. And rejoice that in Christ we can enjoy abundant living in body, mind, and soul.
Blessing Six: Work
Spreadsheets and Leaf Blowers
Work, no matter what we do, is a sacred calling. Some people think anything related to the spiritual life is sacred, while our everyday work is secular. Nothing could be more unbiblical! Humanity was created for a lifetime of service to God, making all of life a sacred endeavor.
Yes, work became more difficult after sin entered the world, but that corruption did not change the fundamental value of work. It is meaningful and required of all who bear God’s image. Whether you work as a CEO, a landscaper, a plumber, a teacher, or an accountant—your work is a gift and calling from God. Volunteering and working in the home are no exception; the role you play and the tasks you complete are blessings from God.
The work we do today may be difficult and tiring, but we should still thank God for it because it is His gift to us. Work is one of the ways God meets our needs. How wonderful it is to know that the Divine Employer has a task for each of us today!
Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” And Psalm 100:2 tells us to “serve the Lord with gladness.” Our work is one of the ways we demonstrate to others what it means to be a Christian. We work heartily and with gladness because we are working for Christ and not for men. As you begin your workday, whatever that might look like, thank God for the blessing of work and for the blessing of being able to serve Him in all you do.
Blessing Seven: Church
United We're Blessed
At the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus gave them a “new commandment”: “Love one another; as I have loved you...love one another.” He then went on to say that their love for one another is what would distinguish them after He was gone (John 13:34-35). Their love for one another is what would let the world know they were His followers. Although the church is made up of people from all walks of life, our love of Christ unites us.
What a blessing to enjoy the love of others within the church each day! As we meet together each Sunday and throughout the week, our hearts are uplifted, and our walks with Christ are strengthened through fellowship. The love of Christ is demonstrated in the practical ways we serve and support one another—an encouraging text message during a difficult week, a meal brought to us when we are ill, or a deep theological conversation over coffee. When we love each other well, all of us are blessed.
Even when we are unable to attend church or Bible study, the absence of that fellowship reminds us of how blessed we are to gather in the name of Jesus. We long for the community we experience when we are with other believers and for the strength we receive as we go about each day. Even in difficult times—especially in difficult times!—the church is a blessing. Never underestimate the value of a community that remembers others and cares for all of its members with equal measure and love. Thank God today for the blessing of the church, for the love and community of other believers. Spend a few moments praying for your local church and thanking God for those whom you worship and serve alongside.
Citations:
1“Neighbors Build Community Through Multifamily Homes,” Habitat for
Humanity, https://www.habitat.org/stories/neighbors-build-communitythrough-
multifamily-homes.
2Dave Branon, ed., Together With God: Stories of Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Our
Daily Bread Publishing, 2018).
This article is an excerpt from Season of Gratitude: A Celebration of Thanksgiving.