Unconditional Gratitude

“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is ‘good,’ because it is good, if ‘bad’ because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.”
                                                                    C.S. Lewis




We have now entered into the week of Thanksgiving. This seems to be a holiday that gets less and less press. When you look at the decorations on display in the stores, it would seem that we move rapidly from halloween displays to Christmas decorations. Little fanfare, if any, is given to a day in which our country, historically, gave thanks to God collectively. Now, we zoom by it as quickly as we can so as to keep up our fast paced lifestyles and slowly move to forget all of the reasons why we should be grateful to our God, who has been so generous and gracious to us.

Anger and offense seem to rule the minds and emotions within our country that is severely divided and in opposition to one another. Much time is spent on focusing on the things we dislike, whether it relates to politics, morality, race, and anything in between. Somehow we have veered away from the things of God, especially when it comes to living in gratitude and keeping our eyes on what God is doing in our midst.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites had the same problem. When things were going well and they received the many blessings that God was giving them, they tended to honor Him more and give Him thanks. However, when things were more difficult and challenging, they mumbled and grumbled and hardened their hearts towards God. Their blind eyes refused to see the good that God was giving to them, even in the midst of challenging circumstances. Their gratitude was conditional, which was definitely a recipe for disaster for them and their descendants.

So, how is it even possible to live with unconditional gratitude in the midst of a world that is hate-filled and full of rage? My first suggestion to this question is to quiet the noise. I think the older generations in our country had it right when they tuned in once a night to watch Walter Cronkite. They got the information they needed without having to listen to all the bickering and vitriol. It is next to impossible to stay focused on the things that God is saying and doing when we are continually barraged with negative commentary. We have to be intentional with what we look at and listen to and that we learn to pray effectively and quiet the noise. (Disclaimer: I live in a family of news junkies, myself included).

The next thing we have to do is to look to the Word of God. I put together a THANKSGIVING acronym to help with this:
     
  T- "This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
  H-"His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 100:5)
  A-"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called. And be thankful." 
                                                                                                                                           (Col 3:15)
  N-"Now thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord, Jesus." (1 Corinthians 15:57)
  K-"Know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not harm you." (Jeremiah 29:11)
  S-"Soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name. Bless the Lord..."  (103:1-2)
  G-"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 107:1)
  I-"In every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude." (Acts 24:3)
  V-Verily, verily I say unto you that he who believes on Me has everlasting life." (John 6:47)
  I-"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)
  N-"Now I give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;I will recount all of your wonderful deeds."
                                                                                                                                          (Psalm 9:1)
  G-"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down His life for friends." (John 15:13)

Next, we must be willing to honestly assess our hearts when challenges come. Do we pull in closer to Christ or do we recoil in pain? Do we genuinely trust in God's sovereignty or do we prefer to try to micro-manage things to some degree? Do we demand answers to our "why" questions or do we declare like Jesus, "Not my will, but thy will be done?" (Luke 22:42)? Do we face our challenges or resort to avoidant behavior, like sleeping, or addictions, or mind numbing activities? Do we worry and fret or speak to our souls to trust in God, like David did? All of these are good indicators of our natural tendencies that need to be overcome with supernatural strength.

When Paul was persecuted, he wrote "Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him" (2 Corinthians 2:14). When David was in despair, he cried out to God and then wrote, "Praise be to the Lord for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song" (Psalm 28:6-7).

The Bible tells us that one of the distinguishing factors between the children of God and the rest of the world is thanksgiving. In one of the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy, Paul explains that in the last days the wicked people would be "ungrateful" (2 Timothy 3:2). Peter explains to us that when we give thanks in the midst of all kinds of trials that our faith will "be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Ultimately, we don't get to choose the circumstances and people that come and go in our lives. But, we do get to choose whether or not we will be grateful. And, we must always remember that, as believers, we have much to be grateful for. God is most definitely worthy of our praise and thanksgiving and eternity with Christ is the ultimate joy set before us. In the interim, every precious memory and joy and gift is hand-picked and given to us by our Heavenly Father who absolutely adores us. When we focus on these things, it is possible to live our lives with unconditional gratitude!

                ALL BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOURS THIS THANKSGIVING!