Thankful

Happy Holidays!

As the season begins, I have been thinking that I would be remiss if I didn’t include a post during this Thanksgiving Holiday about being thankful. While I still think this is true, and while I am (obviously) doing that now, I’ve also realized that this is not the whole story.

I am truly remiss if I am purposely, thoughtfully thankful on Thanksgiving…and not the other 364 days of the year.

As part of my journey into living joyfully submitted, I try to daily find at least one thing that I am truly thankful for. Of course, I’m human and not successful at this every day. I get busy and forget to be purposeful. I have a bad day.

Thing is, if I’m honest with God and with myself, I know I will have many less bad days – and have much more inner peace on the days that are bad – if I do remember to be purposefully thankful daily. So how do I do that? How do I make myself remember something so easy to forget in the business of “doing life”?

Colossians gives us a clue:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful

Colossians 4:2

And:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

Colossians 2:7 tells us to be “overflowing with thankfulness.”

In addition, the Bible directs us over 200 times to PRAISE God. Praise grows out of thankfulness. In the Word, thankfulness is also one way to show or to give God praise, and so the two are intertwined.

So, what does that mean for you and me in our purposeful giving of thanks?

When I look into the Word, and see that the directives for thankfulness are tied to words like “devote,” “rule,” and “overflowing,” I am convicted that I am looking at thankfulness a little narrowly.

If I am being thankful in prayer (Col. 4:2), and devoting myself to prayer as we are instructed, doesn’t it follow that I should be devoting myself to thankfulness? If I am letting the peace of Christ rule in my heart, and I am to be thankful for that (Col. 3:15), doesn’t that mean thankfulness would consequently also be ruling in my heart? And if I am living in line with these Truths, will thankfulness not naturally be “overflowing” from my being?

Please don’t misunderstand me – I still believe it is important to take time to stop and purposely reflect on those specific things we are thankful for every day, and that upon that reflection it is imperative that we offer our thankfulness in praise to God. But I am convinced there is so much more to thankfulness.

Thankfulness is not only a warm-fuzzy feeling you get when you stop to think about the “pluses” in your life. I Thessalonians 5:18 directs us to be thankful in ALL circumstances. That means on the bad days, when the “business” of living life distracts you from purposefulness, when you’re stressed, when everything seems to be going wrong, and even during times of tragedy.

Instead, thankfulness is a natural result of a life lived in thankful praise according to God’s Truth, and to the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts…a natural outpouring of the awesome realization of who He is and of “how wide and long and high and deep” His love for us is (Ephesians 3:18).

And so, this Thanksgiving weekend – and by His grace every moment hereafter – may I live overflowing with thanks for His “indescribable gift,” and thus for all of the gifts He gives, which flow from His love for me!

I've Been Thinking...

What do you think about?

Where does your mind dwell?              

                                                           I'VE BEEN THINKING

I've been thinking....
about what I've been thinking.


I think about the daily business of living.

I think about responsibilities to my church, family, and home.

Bills.

Finding a job.

Doing my job.

My health. My husband's health. My kids' health. Political problems, moral issues, world poverty.

The poverty in people's souls.

Sometimes the thoughts we think enter without our actually thinking. They come tumbling in on top of each other, pushing and shoving their way to the forefront, only to lose their spot to the next. Often the thoughts are stressful and worrisome (Are we gong to have to go back to the hospital today?  Is my paycheck going to be enough to cover that unexpected bill? ), frustrating (This laundry is never-ending! I don't like my job. I'm underappreciated!) or intimidating (How am I ever going to pay off my student loans? How do I begin to pray for such a monumental scope of need?).

In other words, worrisome.

The Bible uses another word...

"The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile." Psalm 94:11 

Jesus put it another way:

“Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life?” Matt. 6:27

Sounds futile to me.

Futile. I don’t know about you, but for me that description of my thoughts concerning important matters in my life doesn’t sit easy. I am a parent and a grandparent – I am supposed to be concerned with my children’s and grandchildren’s well-being, their safety, their happiness, their eternity. I am a spouse – I am supposed to look to the needs of my spouse and my household. 

We are friends, children, members of our society, members of the body of Christ…all of these titles come with privileges – and great responsibility. It is difficult to not worry.

So, how do we stop the futile worrying?

The Bible tells us that we worry because we doubt. According to James 1:6, when we doubt we are "like a wave of the sea, tossed by the wind" and "double-minded, unstable in all [our] ways." 

Does that description of life ring a bell to you? It does to me! When I am worried, I am definitely NOT stable, and I DO feel as if life is rocking “like a wave of the sea.” We doubt we can handle the situation; and more precisely, we doubt God will (ouch!). Now, bear with me…I know it’s hard to swallow being a Christ follower and being told you doubt Him. The first time I was confronted with this Truth, I had an internal argument that went something like this:

Me (to myself): But, I trust God! I know He is mighty to save, loving, just, and works things for my good…

Internal voice: Then why are you worried?

Me: Spirit, is that You? It’s only natural to worry, right? I mean, I do trust God. But what if the worst happens?

Holy Spirit: “But”? Do you trust Him or don’t you?

Silence on my end as I contemplate the meaning of “double-minded” from this new perspective.

Holy Spirit: Are you really trusting Him if you want to be in control? If you think you know the best outcome and worry that it won’t happen, rather than honoring Him as Lord and Creator, the Beginning and the End, and submitting to His decisions and his timing? (More silence from my end). Are you truly trusting Him, truly honoring Him, if you can’t be thankful for the many, many blessings you do have? If you can’t rest in the Truth that His Grace is sufficient?

Not long after this (mostly one-sided) internal argument, I came across this verse (coincidence? I think not…)

Romans 1:21: ...although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts." 

Futile. Worried.

God’s word to the Romans still applies. It answers my question “Isn’t it natural to worry?” The answer is yes, it is natural – of human nature, the flesh. We do not glorify Him as God with our complete trust. We forget to be thankful and rest in His sovereignty and control. It’s then that we begin to worry futilely. 

Jesus clearly told us we will have troubles. The thing is, we can either dwell on the troubles, or dwell on Jesus. We can glorify Him as God. We can be thankful that He has already defeated every worrisome circumstance we will ever encounter. 

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

                                                                     John 16:33