By Rachel Loe, November 20, 2023

Thanksgiving! What a week! A time to spend with family and friends gathered around a table to eat the comfort food we grew up with. We talk about football, our lives, and, of course, work. It is the thing that we spend most of our waking hours doing. How often do our conversations turn to what we wish were better or the struggles that we are experiencing in our workplace? I know for me, it is often. I wish this or that were better, I wish this coworker wouldn’t speak that way, and on and on it goes. There is a cultural phenomenon of complaining about or hating work.

In this season of thankfulness, why should we display gratitude with our jobs and coworkers, and how can we? First and foremost, we should live in a heart position of gratitude because the Lord has commanded us to do just that. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) The Westminster Shorter Catechism states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” We are made to glorify the Lord in all we do, and part of that is recognizing His blessings and goodness. Yes, some circumstances will not leave us feeling warm and fuzzy inside, but that is not the point. Our joy in this life is determined by our hope in God and His bestowed grace.

The second reason, even those in the world recognize, is that having a heart filled with thanksgiving gives us a better outlook. According to research by Harvard Business Review, “gratitude enables us to savor positive experiences, cope with stressful circumstances and be resilient in the face of challenges, and strengthen our social relationships.” I have a friend who is the most uplifting individual that I know. He is a business owner who goes through incredibly stressful seasons that naturally come with owning a business. Something that helps keep his focus when things are spiraling is the creation of a gratitude list before he begins work in the morning.  There are always people in his life on it, and there is, without fail, something that also has to do with work.

As kingdom ambassadors, what we do is reflective of our Lord. Being the person who takes time to notice and communicate gratitude is one of the easiest and most overlooked ways to live out our faith. Thanking someone for going the extra mile will let someone know that their work is recognized and appreciated, not just taken for granted. Here are some easy examples of expressing gratitude in the workplace.

1. Taking the time to write a short thank you note is so old school that most people forget about it, but when you receive one, it is memorable.
2. Make your compliments “you” focused instead of “I” focused. i.e., “You are so talented in …” rather than “I like it when you …”
3. Letting someone’s leader know how good a job they have done.
4. Leaders – let your team know frequently that you appreciate them through a more public forum for shoutouts or accolades

 So, as we go into this week of Thanksgiving, let it be a time to praise God for all His many blessings, as in Psalm 106, and reflect on how we can better display gratitude and thanks-giving in our workplaces.