Rudyard Kipling was a great writer and poet whose writings we have all enjoyed. Unlike many old writers, Kipling was one of the few who had opportunity to enjoy his success while he lived. He also made a great deal of money at his trade.

One time a newspaper reporter came up to him and said,

Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over a hundred dollars a word; Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, Really, I certainly wasn’t aware of that.

The reporter cynically reached down into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said,

Here’s a hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now, you give me one of your hundred dollar words.

Mr. Kipling looked at that hundred dollar bill for a moment, took it and folded it up and put it in his pocket and said,

Thanks.

If we examine our daily lives, what does it take for us to be thankful? The Apostle Paul would give us a short blueprint in Ephesians 5:19-20 of how to live a life of Thanksgiving in our daily lives.

First, to one another, he tells us to lift each other up. To speak to each other with encouraging words. Yes we need to be a constant encourager to one another. As we lift others our problems begin to fade away and those around us are lifted up.

Secondly, Paul would tell us to always give thanks to God. Once we begin to realize what God has done for us how can we not begin to praise Him? God gave Himself for us so that we might have eternal life with Him, but also so that we can live this life with victory through Him.

I challenge you this Thanksgiving season to lift each other up with words of encouragement and keep a song of praise on your heart because of what God has already done for you.

Blessings,

Pastor Tim Campbell