Building a home of thankfulness

By Rob Hurtgen

What would happen if instead of a day of thanksgiving we lived every day in a thankful home? Here are three ways to build a thankful home.

Build a thankful home by being intentional. In Joshua 24:15, the young leader addresses a crowd concerning how they will live in their new nation.

He recognizes they will choose something to serve, someone to worship and some philosophy to practice. With all the competing worldviews around him, he says, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

In other words, it will not be by accident whom we will serve and who we will be. I will intentionally build my house.

To build a thankful home you must be intentional. You must decide who you will be and what your family will value. A helpful exercise is to complete this sentence. "In our family, we will ...

... build up, not break down."

... choose thankfulness."

... serve the Lord."

Intentionally build a thankful home.

Build a thankful home by celebrating each other. The home must be a place where those you love feel the most appreciated and feel they are valued. Regularly take the time to celebrate the ones you love. Tell them why you appreciate them. Share what unique joy they bring to your life. Be certain they know how valuable they are to you.

We often are the hardest on ourselves. We need others to encourage us. Others need us to encourage them. Consider this year how you can celebrate those you love.

Build a thankful home with the way you speak. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb; Sweet to the soul and healing to the bone." How and what you say has the ability to build a spirit of thankfulness.

In a thankful home, there is no room for criticism. No room to speak ill of anyone. Be resolved to say nothing critical or get pulled into a conversation that is. Be the one to redirect conversations away from criticism. Be the one whose words are sweet.

A thankful home will not be built alone. Constructing a thankful home takes intentional effort, celebration and a spirit of encouragement. When a thankful home is constructed, it truly is the happiest place on earth.