Some Thanksgiving Thoughts

Yesterday I led the Bible study at SHIM's monthly prayer meeting. Because we are in the week of Thanksgiving, it seemed fitting to share some thoughts about giving thanks. What follows is some of what I shared with the SHIM family.

Thanksgiving as a Way of Life

Last year I was very much struggling with discontentment, a lack of joy and a lack of vision. I honestly did not want to be in Uganda – I wanted to be somewhere else – almost anywhere else, doing something else. I was tired, I was lonely, I was discontent and I was ungrateful. However, I read a book that helped to change my perspective. It is called “1000 Gifts” (written by Ann Voskamp) and it helped me to see that being thankful to God is very necessary as a Christian and is a form of worship of our Creator.

The author encouraged her readers to record the daily “gifts” given by God as she had done – counting all the way to 1000 gifts in the course of about a year. Those gifts to be counted include gifts of creation, relationships, daily provision. She encouraged me to see each blessing, no matter how small as a gift from God. And not to take it for granted, but to give thanks when it is due.

This book helped me to change my situation – not my circumstances, but my perspective of my circumstances. Rather than despising where I was and what I was doing, I came to thank God for my daily gifts. Three times this past week I have heard that we are not to view God through our circumstances, but we are to view our circumstances through God.

Life is in a constant state of change – we are changing, our environment is changing, people are changing, nations and world events are changing – absolutely nothing is static and unchanging, except our God. He never, ever, ever changes. If we are established on Him and our faith and trust are in Him as our Rock then when the winds of change blow, we are secure in Him.

This year, I have been teaching through the book of Ephesians in the girls’ Bible study at school. Recently, we have been in chapter 5 and I came across this power- packed verse - Ephesians 5:20:

“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Note the words “always” and “everything.”

Always – in good, bad, easy and difficult times, in sickness, in loss, in joy, in weariness, in rest, in victory, in defeat. There should never be a time that we think exempts us from giving thanks. Why? Because we are thanking our God, our Father – the giver of life, the giver of all good things. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

When our focus is on God – our Creator, our Redeemer, the One who is in control over all – then we have much for which to be thankful.

And the word “everything.” Is it really possible to be thankful to God for everything – even the things that seem really bad or hurtful or never-ending? Yes, when we believe the promise of Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”

“The word “gratitude” comes from the same root word as “grace.” If we have experienced the grace of God, then we ought to be grateful for what God brings to us.” (NLT Commentary)

Being thankful is not optional for us as born-again Christians, it is a command that is repeated often in Scripture. Giving thanks is not about emotions or feelings, but it is recognizing the reality of God’s goodness, love and sovereignty and choosing to put your focus on Him, rather than on your feelings or circumstances. We are even told to offer the sacrifice of praise, which means praising God even when we don’t feel it can be a sacrifice.

I want to spend some time reading Psalm 136 – a psalm of Thanksgiving to God and give some ideas of what we can be thanking God for.

Vs. 1-4 - Our God is Jehovah – the God of the covenant, and He is good and merciful.

1. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good!