Thanksgiving: the time of year when we’re reminded to be thankful for everything we’ve been given. There’s a general sense of warm fuzzy feelings and gratitude in the air – that is, until Black Friday hits and we get into fist – fights over a tv in the middle of Wal – Mart.
But what about the rest of the year? Are we truly thankful in every circumstance as Paul commanded us to be?
Most teaching I’ve heard on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 focuses on the negative – that even in the bad times, we are to give thanks. (Important: this does not mean we are to be thankful for bad things, but despite them. God would never ask us to be thankful for evil, as he is not evil).
This teaching, while true and correct, fails to remind us to be thankful for the good, because it’s automatically assumed we are. If we’re honest, though, do we actually remember to thank God when everything is going well?
I for one often don’t. I’m usually too wrapped up in busy-ness to stop and realize just how much I’ve been blessed.
This begs the question, if I forget to thank God when things are going well, how can I possibly be thankful in the midst of everything falling apart?
The answer: I can’t.
As my husband will tell you, my lack of gratitude usually leads me to act like a spoiled, ungrateful brat, never satisfied and always wanting more. I become blinded to what I have and only see what I don’t.
I complain God hasn’t fulfilled all of my dreams and wonder if he’s really there. When something truly terrible happens, I fall into despair and hopelessness. It’s an all around disaster.
Thankfulness and gratitude come from a place of wholly and completely trusting in the Lord. In a lot of ways, the two feed into each other. If we trust God, we are able to appreciate his blessings. If we live in an attitude of thankfulness, we are able to better see God’s provision. As a result, our trust in him becomes more steadfast.
However, when we consistently turn a blind eye to the good things we’ve been given, our faith erodes to something that is too weak to sustain us when our situation turns from great to grisly.
It’s a constant choice we have to make. Do we decide to look at our blessings and be thankful for them and the One who gave them to us? Or, do we ignore the good, choosing instead dissatisfaction and discontentment?
Thankfully, even when we make the wrong choice, as I too often do, God remains faithful. He lovingly guides us back to a place where we can once again realize just how blessed we are, and how good he is. What a wonder is our Lord.
