Every year, OECD releases a world ranking for the happiest country to live in. According to the March, 2023 Ranking, US ranked 15th out of 38 nations, while South Korea placed 35th. The happiness rating of the Koreans were nearly last place. Though Korea had accomplished remarkable economical growth, it also achieved to become what one essay called “The nation that achieved a miracle, but lost happiness.” Korea raised itself to the top ten economically competitive nation in the world, achieving national GPD of $35,000 per capita. No one is going around hungry or homeless. There is abundance. Even so, the masses say they are unhappy. Thankfully, there are those who say different. They are those who are thankful. The thankful are reported to be twice happier than others by comparison. What this shows is that thankfulness is directly proportionate to happiness.

   The world would be a truly unfair place if one’s possession determined one’s level of happiness. The poor would have to endure on top of having little the cruel fact of the rich taking up all the happiness too. But truly, happiness does not depend on what a person has but on how the person thinks. Bloomberg report shows that the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, is currently the richest person on earth. His net worth is 192 billion dollars. If we were to take turn this money into one dollar bills, pile them up, the pile would reach and come back from earth to the moon some twenty times! You would be able to actually buy the nation of Guatemala twice! If possession defined happiness, Elon Musk would be unable to function because of the overwhelming sense of happiness. He literally possesses the happiness of tens of millions of people. But happiness is not defined by such. Having much does not equate happiness.

   Happiness belongs to those who give thanks. Doctor Robert Emons of UC Davis systematically analyzed the effect of thanksgiving on happiness. He published his dissertation titled, “The Effect Thanksgiving Has on Psychological Health and Relationships.” According to his research, there is no better medicine in life than thanksgiving. He encourages everyone to start their day with writing down something they are thankful for. He recommends writing a journal or express thanksgiving like David did in his psalms. “I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations” (Ps. 57:9 NASB). Truly there is power in words. It causes us to pause and contemplate on things we would have passed over otherwise. Eventually, our thanksgiving becomes habitual. When thanksgiving becomes a habit, our hearts become peaceful. The world becomes a different place. I recommend you write down things you are thankful for and proceed to express them with words and deeds. The miracle of thanksgiving starts with small acts.

   Anyone can give thanks. And no one has nothing to be thankful for. Thanksgiving begins, not with circumstances or conditions, but from our heart attitude. Jesus died on our behalf on the cross and gave us eternal life—this alone is reason enough for us. Thanksgiving is an expression of absolute trust in God. It is God’s will for us to give thanks. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thes. 5:18 NIV). Giving thanks in all circumstances is the proper manner of faith toward God. We do not give thanks because life is heaven on earth. We give thanks and then experience heaven daily. May your joy and happiness abound this Thanksgiving season by your abundant thanksgiving.