Do you feel grateful today? You might be thinking, “some people are obviously more thankful than others. It just depends on your circumstances.”
It’s easy to be thankful when your family is healthy, and your income is good, or when your favorite team has a winning record, and your aches and pains are at a minimum. But honestly, that kind of thanksgiving can be very superficial.
Biblical thanksgiving is much greater and deeper than that. It is based not on your circumstances, but on God’s sufficiency. It's not centered on your production, but on God’s provision. It's not based on your performance, but on God’s providence.
From his prison cell, the apostle Paul encouraged us to always be thankful.
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
It’s hard to be thankful when there’s a death or divorce in your family, or your job is at risk, when your marriage is shaky, when someone in your family is facing a dangerous health problem or if your car breaks down thirty days after the warranty expires.
Think about that first Thanksgiving celebration in America. On September 6, 1620, 102 Pilgrims had left Plymouth, England bound for the New World. For two months they braved the harsh elements of a vast storm-tossed sea in their creaky little ship. They arrived in Massachusetts in late November. After a prayer service, they began building hasty shelters. However, there was no way they could have anticipated that harsh New England winter. Nearly half of them died before spring. Nevertheless, on December 13 of the following year, the Pilgrims declared a three-day feast to thank God and to celebrate with their Native American friends. That’s real thanksgiving, when people praise regardless of circumstances.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul showed us real thanksgiving in action. Paul was in a dungeon, chained to a Roman guard. It was probably dark in that hole. Most likely, he could barely see well enough to write. But consider what he did write...
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13
Most of us would have felt sorry for ourselves in that situation. We would probably have been crying out, “Lord, you certainly have a strange way of showing you love me. I have sacrificed and suffered for you all over two continents. What do I get for it? I’m locked up in this hole, and I’ll probably be executed within a month. Thanks a lot, Lord!”
But instead, Paul declared, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” When you learn true contentment in every situation, you will also have the joy of the Lord and a grateful heart.
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