Thanksgiving

Not surprisingly, as Thanksgiving approaches, I have been giving extra thought to what it means to be thankful. Many of us probably have traditions at this time of year that include counting our blessings or verbalizing what we are thankful for to others. These are beautiful and redeeming practices, and I always enjoy participating in them and hearing what others are thankful for.

I have begun to appreciate a different side to being thankful lately. Gratitude is more than expressing how much we like certain things. Gratitude is responding with joy to our lives and the things that make up our lives. It is easy to be thankful when we are happy, content and do not lack. It can be much more difficult to be thankful when we are hurting or struggling. Our thoughts and emotions can get clouded by what we do not have and what we wish we had.

In Philippians 4, Paul states:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(v. 4-7.) Later in the same chapter Paul explains:

. . . I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

(v. 11b-13.)

One thing that stands out in this passage is that Paul’s exhortations to rejoice are explicitly unrelated to external circumstances of being in need or having plenty. Rather, Paul’s thankfulness and joy are directly tied to “Him who strengthens me.” Paul has a vision of the world that is rooted in something other than himself and his circumstances. Paul’s vision is centered on the peace of God and guarded in the name of Jesus Christ. (v. 7.)

Put another way, Dallas Willard states that the disciple of Christ believes and understands there is nothing in this world that can irredeemably damage us while we are living in the Kingdom of God. When we are in the thick of our own problems and suffering, this can be hard to believe. If we pause to take a step back and connect with “Him who strengthens [us],” we realize the truth. We are safe and provided for in the Kingdom of God, and we have much to rejoice about and for which to be thankful.

How do we do this? Paul provides the answer to that question as well. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (v. 8.) We can choose what we think about. Here, Paul instructs us to focus upon those things that are true and good. This Thanksgiving, let us choose to dwell upon things that are good and true, such as the fact that we are safe and provided-for in the Kingdom of God regardless of our earthly circumstances. Then, we can stand before God with joy and thanksgiving, and our requests to God will be made, not from a heart of fear and scarcity, but a heart confident in God’s love and provision for our lives.