A Heart of Thanksgiving
The Foundation of Gratitude
"And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
(Colossians 3:12-17)
In the days before our national celebration of Thanksgiving, we hear that word thrown around a lot. But, it is rare to hear anyone take the time to talk about what thankfulness really is. Is it just some mushy sentiment that surrounds a tradition, or is there more to it than that? Many homes will celebrate the day with the focus on food and sports, but is that what it means to be thankful?
As the verses above tell us, it involves more, much more. Let’s spend a few minutes examining them to glean a few of the major points Paul makes.
At the outset Paul identifies some major qualifiers. Those who can and should be thankful are those who are 1) chosen by God, 2) consecrated by Him, 3) loved by Him, and 4) forgiven by Him. Those are some pretty powerful prerequisites for thankfulness and they help us to understand why so many in our culture have perverted the very idea of a day of thanksgiving.
The first condition of thankfulness is that we have been chosen by God. In the relationship between mankind and God, He is the One who must act first. We are dead in our trespasses and sins. We are wholly unfit and unable to act on our behalf. His choice comes first.
In that choice, He gives us the revelation we need to recognize who He is and honor Him as our Sovereign. In a mystery that will challenge our minds for a lifetime, He comes into our life in a way that neither violates our will or His Sovereignty. That’s a discussion for rainy days and a cup of coffee with good friends. I won’t attempt it in this small space.
Suffice it to say that God sets us apart for His own purpose and glory. Those so chosen demonstrate it by thankfulness. This is in contrast to the ungodly and arrogant who "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...." (Romans 1:21-22)
To fail in thankfulness to God is to abide in the company of fools. Our public celebrations of Thanksgiving will omit God or at best speak of some Unknown Generic God. At the very time those who lead such events attempt expressions of thankfulness, they demonstrate their true state by denying Christ who our Sovereign God proclaims is the means by which we receive His blessing. That is tragically ironic.
Only those who have been chosen are made holy and received love. Again, these are past actions which form the basis for true thanksgiving. Note that "beloved" should be literally translated "having been loved."
God’s love is not dependent upon our actions but upon His choosing. This word is in the passive voice. There is nothing we do to merit God’s love. It is His gift to us. Those who deny Him reject that gift to their own destruction. It is no wonder they are unable to exhibit true expressions of gratitude.
These first three pre-requisites (chosen, consecrated, and loved) are God’s doing. However, only those who respond to God’s gracious choosing are showered with His love and forgiveness.; and only those so blessed are capable of showing Godly compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and love. Only recipients of grace can extend grace to others. It is a heart of thankfulness that issues forth the very nature of the Father.
Without a true heart of thanksgiving, a world of peace and love is impossible. Only the reign of Christ in the hearts of mankind will expand the borders of the kingdom of God. Only the peace which He brings to our individual lives will saturate the earth with His goodness and overflow to a flood of goodwill to all people. To reject Christ is to reject the very Name by which peace and love may flourish among mankind.
Those who reject Christ seek a peace that is imposed by physical force. Such individuals may be well-intentioned but their actions will always generate animosity. Forced tolerance is not peace and it will never foster love. That comes in Christ alone.
Getting back to our text, note that thankfulness comes from knowing God’s word and allowing it to penetrate to the very core of our being. We are instructed to use a variety of means to instill it into our lives and our community of faith.
The neglect of God’s word is an indictment against those who go through the pretense of Thanksgiving finding it unnecessary to recognize the true source of our blessing. Indeed Paul carries it even further by instructing us to do everything in the name of Christ.
The most telling statement is the last. Our thanks must be given to God through Christ. Thanksgiving offered otherwise neglects God’s gift and seeks to establish man before God on his own merits. That is futility and an indictment of those who perpetrate such a charade.
Christ stands supreme as the cause for our thanksgiving and our avenue of expressing it. As we gather with friends and family to give thanks, let us make that thought the centerpiece of our celebration and remembrance.
A Thanksgiving Walk
"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." (Colossians 2:6-7)
The word for gratitude in this passage is from the same root word as thankful in the earlier passage. It is the word from which we get the word eucharist which some denominations use to describe the Lord’s Supper. It is a compound word with a root meaning of "good" - "grace." Because we have received God’s good favor in Christ, gratitude is to overflow our lives as we walk before the world.
Genuine gratitude is not expressed in words but action. That is a test of the pretend gratitude we will witness in many places in a few days. Many who will take center stage to express their gratitude have lives that are characterized by ingratitude.
It is impossible to walk the talk unless we are grateful recipients of God’s grace. Even if we manage to do the "right" things, improper motives and attitudes will betray us. It may take years, but the truth will out.
Thanksgiving is a good time to reflect on our own lives. Do they overflow with gratitude? Is our giving and generous spirit evident? What does motivate us to give to others: duty, fear, pride, tax deductions, or love?
Mark Twain said, "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous; he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." So many who have received grace upon grace resort to extracting even more from others. It is a sad picture that is not foreign to scripture.
The parable of the slave who owed his master ten thousand talents vividly portrays this attitude. Having been forgiven his debt by the master, he used his liberty to demand payment from another who owed him. His gratitude did not overflow and in the end he received justice instead of mercy.
God has extended His grace to us so that we might become His instruments in extending to others. Does the world around experience that grace, or something else?
Paul’s admonition applies well here, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." (Ephesians 5:1-4)
It is easy for us to focus on "the biggies" in this instruction. Greed is a subtle monster that can be hard to identify in the mirror at times. It is easy to rationalize our own desires while finding fault with the same thing in others.
Neither should we skim over "silly talk" and "coarse jesting." My natural bent is to turn a phrase at someone else’s expense. It is tempting even now to relate some of my real zingers to demonstrate my ability but the Spirit wisely constrains me.
By God’s grace, I have been blessed with some measure of victory over that weakness in recent years. To my immense satisfaction, I have learned that under God’s control there are times when turning a phrase is appropriate and God can use that ability for His purposes and glory. Jesus had a way with words and those who follow Him should too. For that to be possible our speech must be subjected to the will of the Father as His was.
Paul echoes this theme in Colossians 4:6, "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person." The root idea of the word for "seasoned" means to hold in suspense. That speaks to me a lot more than "seasoned."
What it communicates to me is that our speech should be engaging. It should invite dialogue, not stifle it. Our words should draw people not repel them. The church has failed often in this regard.
We should also note that the word salt can be used symbolically for prudence. Among Solomon’s seasons in Ecclesiastes are "A time to be silent, and a time to speak." Jesus was master of the moment. His ministry was punctuated with fiery darts at the Pharisees but there were other times when He simply refused to answer them. Before Pilate, He spoke no defense. His silence was broken only to inform His inquisitor that His Father gave Pilate his authority.
We all know people who think they must be heard on every point of every discussion. It embarrasses me to admit it, but I used to be one of them. I try to listen a lot more than talk these days.
I want to be like Job’s friend Elihu. He was the youngest of the bunch and is a particularly interesting character to me. I’ll follow that rabbit trail with you one of these days but for now just remember that he held his speech until he could contain it no more. If you want to think of his remarks as a warm up act prior to God taking center stage, that is, in my opinion a fair assessment (how I want to chase that rabbit!).
In contrast to Job’s detractors, Elihu seasons his speech with grace. He can because he has waited for the proper time with a proper spirit. When we recognize our standing before God in Christ, our hearts will overflow and thanksgiving will mark our path.
Finding Thanksgiving in Obedience
"While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness, but I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD."
I’ve intentionally omitted the reference for the above passage. Can you guess it’s origin? There are a number of potential candidates in scripture. Indeed, most of the biblical characters we meet could identify with the sentiment expressed. Was it Job? David? Jacob? Elijah? Peter? Paul? Give up?
The quote comes from one of those dramatic stories in the Old Testament. That narrows it down to 39 books. Need more help? Think "minor prophet." Still, wondering? Think "big fish." Okay, so you had a little help, but Jonah is correct.
Sometimes, the path to thanksgiving is through discipline. The author of Hebrews assures us that God disciplines those He loves. Discipline isn’t pleasant, but it is a cause for thanksgiving. Like Jonah, we sometimes find ourselves "on the run." We have a deep sense of what God expects of us in a particular situation, but for selfish reasons we choose not to obey. As we mature in Christ, we come to realize that God’s discipline is a cause for giving thanks because it assures us that even when we fail God will not let us remain in that state, but corrects our path.
Thanksgiving is a great time to consider how God continually redeems us from our folly. It is a time to express the gratitude that our confidence in Him should evoke. Our spirits should resound with praise at the realization that He guards our steps and is patient with us and faithful to make us stand.
We will probably never be swallowed by a big fish, but we cannot escape God’s grasp, His plan or His purpose. John 10:29 tell us that those whom God chooses cannot be snatched from His hand. We are engulfed in His love and He will not forsake us . . . ever.
We are His workmanship and what He has begun in us He will bring to its fulness in Christ. He knows us intimately and we can rest securely in His power to conform our lives to His plan. He allows us the liberty of wrong choices, but He is faithful to use them to grow us up in Christ for His glory.
More than any temporal blessing we received, God’s call on our lives should yield thankful hearts. So, amid the turkey and dressing, don’t forget to pass the grace!
Benefits of Thanksgiving
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)Wouldn’t it be great to avoid making mistakes in the first place? Paul gives some clear instruction about how to grow in that regard and did you notice it involves thanksgiving?
This passage contains a number of elements that should capture our attention. Notice the implied progression if this exhortation is not followed: anxiety, petition without thanksgiving, minds and hearts prone to err. The crucial element is thanksgiving.
We recently have seen a huge outcry to God for blessing. But for the most part, those expressions have not exhibited hearts of thanksgiving. They are born of anxiety, fear, anger, and a sense of abandonment. That’s why we hear questions like, "Where was God?" "How could God (fill in the blank)?"
Every question like this reveals the absence of an understanding of God’s nature and His dealing with us. Christians living in the confident assurance of their standing in Christ do not express such sentiments.
They weep when others weep and genuinely share in the losses. Nevertheless, they maintain their perspective. They experience peace when others cave in to fear and doubt. Their thankful hearts are guarded by the peace of God in Christ. That is why we frequently see Godly people who are on the receiving end of disaster stand confidently and minister to the needs of others who don’t share their confidence.
Doesn’t it bless you to see Christians who are suffering hardship and loss respond in a confident manner to reporters who, in distressed tones, ask them what they are going to do? It does me.
I want to shout, "Yes!" when I see expressions of faith which leave Godless media types standing in disbelief that anyone could be thankful to God at such times. They just can’t abide that kind of faith and quickly look for someone with a victim mentality to exploit.
Our brethren who stand faithfully in the face of suffering and loss give me confidence that God will be faithful to each of us if and when those times come to our lives. That is the stuff peace is made of and it should be the source of much thanksgiving.
The Apprentice’s Journal
Some of the earliest training I can remember receiving from my mother is the use of those "magic" words, please and thank you. You probably have similar memories. We passed that training along to our daughter and we have been delighted to see her pass it on to our grandson even before he could speak. He has learned signs for the magic words which can quickly capture the hearts of doting grandparents! Who can deny requests given with such sincerity? It is probably true that "polite" behavior may be largely self-serving in our youth but, still, there is an element of wanting to please others that comes into play. When we are young, we may not mentally or emotionally grasp the deeper significance of the gifts that others bring into our lives, but we are keenly aware if something is missing.
Somewhere along the way, we begin to learn genuine gratitude rather than simple perfunctory actions. For me, and perhaps for most, the first awareness came as I started giving of myself and receiving the gratitude of others.
I graduated from thanking others because it was expected, to giving because it was expected. Of course that didn’t really help much until my gifts were the fruit of my own effort and actually cost me something in time or money.
There is nothing quite like experience to open our eyes to truth and learning what is involved in giving births our understanding of true gratitude. There is perhaps an intermediate step many of us go through. It is a step where we enjoy giving because of the positive response we get from others yet we have not learned to give because we have received. Simply put, that kind of giving is giving out of a heart of thanksgiving.
Mature giving finds its source not in duty or obligation, but in love and caring.
It is providential that our season of giving follows our season of thanksgiving. Only those who have learned gratitude can freely give. May our daily thanksgiving be ever increasing to the glory of God.
On another note, let me take a few lines to welcome new readers this month. We’ve added several since the newsletter began about two years ago. I appreciate the opportunity to come into your lives each month with thoughts that are running through my mind and shaping my life.
Some of the most recent subscribers come from readers of
Eschatology Review which is a monthly publication I receive from brother Ron McRay. The focus of the newsletter is fulfilled prophecy but other subjects are regularly a part of the offering.
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On a very personal note, as I write this my wife Sharon is in Peru on a medical mission trip. Special thanks go to those of you who helped sponsor her trip. Sharon has long desired to do this kind of work and being able to make this trip has blessed her greatly.
This is a life-changing experience for her but it’s been pretty significant for me too. In our 32+ years of marriage there are few (very few) times we have gone more than 24 hours without speaking to one another. With her incommunicado the past ten days, I have become aware of just how much it means to have daily contact with one another.
In the information age, we’ve become accustomed to having almost instantaneous contact with each other and times like this are reminders that there are still gaps our technology has not filled (at least at a reasonable cost - I’m a gadget guy but satellite phones are still out of my reach).
What has impressed me most is how much I long to hear any word of where she is and what she is doing. That longing has helped me to identify with so many others who are separated from loved ones. How much we take for granted the ability to pick up a phone or zap out an email! Above all, it gives me a new appreciation of the value of the time we do have.
Sharon is due home on the 14th and I can hardly wait to hear her story. Hopefully, she will share her experience with you here next month.
Thanksgiving calls us to remember all the ways God has showered our lives with blessing. Let us count the ways His goodness and mercy have enriched our lives and given us eternal life in His presence. Thanksgiving is a hallmark of the saints of God.
William Law, in his Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life writes, "Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms, or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice, but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God willeth, who received everything as an instance of God's goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it."
"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28-29