"BEING THANKFUL"

Being Thankful

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

                                                                                                         1 Thessalonians 5:18

When I listen to people talk about their needs; sometimes serious and at times not so serious, I wonder why no one talks about being thankful for what they do have.  Not long ago I called a friend in Illinois and asked her how she was.  Her reply was, “Praise the Lord; I got out of bed today and had food to eat and a warm house.  What more can I say?”  So I said, “How is your health?”  Her answer was, “Better off than many others.”  She never complained about anything, but only talked about being thankful to God.

As I hung up the phone I thought about what being thankful really meant. I began looking up in the Bible the words ‘give thanks’ which was listed 425 times in the Bible and ‘thankful’ was found 39 times, while ‘be thankful’ was written 33 times.  Not only were these words used occasionally in the Bible, but were written many times to believers as a command.  In Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”           

I noticed it didn’t say, “You probably should be thankful and give thanks”.  It wasn’t even a question, but was stated as ‘do this’.  As I thought about it, I realized I talked more about what I needed and wanted, than how often I gave praise and thanksgiving for what the Lord has done for me and my loved ones and continues to do daily. 

Whenever I think about being thankful, I think about my mother who has gone to be with the Lord; she was the most grateful person I have ever known.  No matter how small the gift or how little the deed, she was filled with gratitude.  If she received a card in the mail or a phone call, it was precious to her.  She thanked God for everything; it was part of her character.  She truly fulfilled Ephesians 5:20 “Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” She came from very humble beginnings and her family struggled to survive in the early 1900’s.  She never asked for much in life because in her eyes she had abundance.  Her greatest treasure was her family whom she loved so dearly.

So many people today are only concerned about what they want and not what they have.  How can we praise God and not be grateful?  We should give God thanks for what he is doing in our lives. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” [Psalm 100:4] So here we are – a few days before Thanksgiving.  Many of us are busy shopping for turkeys, making pies, baking squash and whatever is needed for a great Thanksgiving dinner.  Family and friends gather around a sagging table; a short prayer is said to thank God for the food and then we dig in.  We all eat too much and that calls for a nap.  Why do we do this every year?

In 1623, In the Pilgrim Colony of Massachusetts, Governor William Bradley issued this proclamation, “All ye Pilgrims with your wives and little ones, do gather at the Meeting House, on the hill… there to listen to the pastor, and render Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings."  That’s how Thanksgiving began in this new world so long ago.  And tradition has carried all these years.  However, from the beginning of the Bible people know their survival has depended on a loving and kind heavenly father who deserves our prayers of thanksgiving.

Our kids learn a little in school about the Pilgrims and the Indians and somehow a turkey gets added into the picture.  Yet there is so much more we should be thinking about and remembering on Thanksgiving Day and be doubly grateful to the God who has provided for us.  So it is that on Thanksgiving Day each year, Americans give thanks to Almighty God for all His blessings and mercies toward us throughout the year.  Let’s remember why we have the freedom today, it is a blessing from God.