As Christians, on Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for our
country—for those who forged their way into a wilderness for the sake of
religious freedom. But, we don’t merely dwell on the “First Thanksgiving,”
because our call to give thanks goes
back much further in time and delves much deeper in meaning. On the earliest
pages of the Bible, those who knew God praised Him, gave thanks, and offered
sacrifices of thanksgiving. Why? Because they recognized who He was. They had a
proper view of God.
It is in the New Testament, however, that the act of thanksgiving
becomes very real to Christians today. In Philippians 4, Paul demonstrates a
truly extraordinary kind of thankfulness—the kind of thankfulness that brings
lasting joy and inner peace. He makes three seemingly impossible statements: I
accept all things, I can do all things, and I have all things (from Phil. 4:11–18).
This is the attitude of a thankful heart. We don’t have to even utter the words
“I’m thankful” if we live a life like this—the thankful heart wafts contentment
like a slow-release perfume. It is a constant, sweet fragrance to those who are
near us and to the God who desires the sacrifice of praise.
But how many of us accept all of our life’s circumstances?
How many of us look at life’s challenges and declare, “I can do all things”?
How many of us can look at our bank statements or compare ourselves with others
and can say, “I have all things”? In
human terms, these statements truly are impossible, but Paul could say them
because he had an incredibly clear and sharpened view of God. He knew that God
was sovereign, and therefore, he
could say, “I accept all things that come my way.” He knew that God was strong, which made him so bold as to say,
“I can do all things.” He understood that God was sufficient and almost incongruously declared, “I have all things.”
You can read 2 Corinthians 11 and other passages to find out about how Paul had
horrible circumstances, profound weaknesses, and a very evident lack of things.
So, thankfulness doesn’t come from an abundance of good fortune, good health,
and possessions. That is what is so extraordinary about thankfulness. It is
impossible to truly “rejoice evermore” apart from God. When we take our eyes
off of ourselves and put them on God, we can find reasons to give thanks every
day and every moment of our lives.
What do you have to give thanks for this Thanksgiving
season? I can actually make a list of many good circumstances, times when
health was protected or restored, and things have been abundantly provided. And
I will not neglect giving thanks for those things. God is so merciful to give
us good things. But, as our minds jog back, looking for those things, how many
negatives do we have to hurdle along the way? For each of those hurdles, ask
God to help you say, “Because You are sovereign, I can accept all things;
because You are strong, I can do all things; and because you are sufficient, I
know I have all I need.”
May God bless us all with a richer Thanksgiving season than
any before as we learn how to truly be thankful.
Your friend,
Matt Olson