Thanks Living

Not long ago famous people all over the world were polled by a magazine which asked them the question, "If you could be granted one wish to come true right now, what would that be?" There were some very interesting responses, but one response impressed the magazine's editors so much that they commented further. That response was: “I wish that I could be given an even greater ability to appreciate all that I already have." To give thanks sounds simple, doesn’t it? But too often we take things for granted, especially the small and everyday things that are a part of God’s bountiful blessings. An old Scottish preach once offered this prayer during a Thanksgiving service: “O Lord, you have given us much. Give us one thing more: grateful hearts!” Perhaps that should be our prayer as well.

The Psalms are among the most popular scriptures in the Bible. I think that is true in part because the Psalmist (most of them attributed to King David) wrote about his personal relationship with God amidst the challenges of life. Many of the insightful passages are ones of praise and thanksgiving that suggest how we are to respond to God’s gracious acts towards us. In addition to the verses I read from the Psalms, you may recall some of these:
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” (9:1)

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High. (92:1)

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (100:4)

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” (105:1-2)

Our relationship with God and an awareness of God’s gracious acts and blessings in our lives cause us to respond by giving thanks.

One of the most meaningful faith lessons I have learned was from an elderly member of Monumental United Methodist Church. During a visit with her, I asked her how she began her day. She replied, “I begin each day in prayer by thanking God. I say, “Good morning, Lord. This is Sally. Thanks for the gift of another day.” The lesson is a simple but profound one. Beginning the day by thanking God sets the tone for how the day will go. As people of faith, we do not face life alone, but with God’s Presence and guidance, we find strength for living each day as a gift from our gracious God.

The Apostle Paul offered many insights about the importance of giving thanks to God. To the Christians in Thessalonica he wrote: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thess. 5:18)

To the Christians in Philippi, he wrote: "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (4:6)

And to the church in Ephesus he offered this imperative: "Be filled with the spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (5:19b-20)

To give thanks is one way we can praise God and become a blessing to God. But too often instead of wanting to praise God or offer thanksgiving, we forget the doxology we sing -- “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” There are times, especially when things aren’t going well, when we feel sorry for ourselves, and fail to turn to God by giving thanks in all circumstances. But to do so even in difficult times, connects us with God who will see us though each and every day no matter what it may bring.

The instructions for faithful living as disciples were clear. Giving thanks was the norm of the first century disciples and has been a spiritual discipline practiced by Christians of every century. Giving thanks in all circumstances, giving thanks for everything, giving thanks at all times, making thanksgiving a way of life. These are the expressions of faithful Christians who recognize God’s blessings in their lives.

When our grandson, Jacob, began to talk, he was taught to say, “Thank you.” But he had his own way of saying it. His response to someone doing something for him or giving him something was “Thank you very much!” It is a good thing to teach our children to say “thank you” but it is even a greater thing to teach them thanksgiving as a way of life.

Thanksgiving is usually a time for family gatherings. I have many fond memories of times when my parents and I gathered with family members to enjoy a great feast on Thanksgiving Day. It was a part of our family tradition. There was always more than enough food, which as a child I took for granted. Our Thanksgiving gathering was often held at one of my aunts’ whose house was twice the size of mine and could accommodate the large gathering of aunts, uncles, and cousins. The day’s events included a typical Thanksgiving Day meal: Turkey with all the trimmings- an assortment of vegetables, home- made pies, and my Aunt Mattie’s famous pound cake, all topped off with watching football on TV! Almost everyone ate too much, and no one ever talked about the homeless and hungry, lonely, and the less fortunate. As I grew into adulthood, I began to ask some serious questions about how Thanksgiving should be observed. Certainly it is to be a spiritual time of acknowledging God’s blessings, but it also is about how we might become a blessing to others.

Thanksgiving should cause each of us to contemplate such questions as: “Do I count my blessings regularly?” “Do I have a faith that is thankful in everything?” But perhaps the most important question we need to consider is: “In acknowledging God as the Giver of every good and perfect gift, how can I also respond in “thanks living?” Thanksgiving not only causes us to count our blessings, but to go beyond. While I’m sure God is pleased with our praise and thanks, I believe God is more pleased when we turn thanksgiving into acts of thanks living! Thanks living is expressed in simple ways all of us can do. It may take the form of contributing to charities that help feed and clothe the poor, a visit with someone who is experiencing grief, or a note or a phone call to someone who is lonely. Acts of thanks living are whatever acts of kindness address the needs of others. Thanks living is a lifestyle of compassion that fulfills Jesus’ commandment to his disciples to “love one another as I have loved you.”

For several years, my daughter has hosted our Thanksgiving family gathering. If her next door neighbor, a widower, is home alone, she invites him for the meal. When someone at her work place has no family nearby, or place to go, she extends an invitation to join us. That’s what it means to turn thanksgiving into thanks living – addressing the needs of others and responding with gracious acts of kindness.

There is power in giving thanks that renews our attitudes and spirits which leads us to respond in acts of thanks living. Giving thanks with a grateful heart blesses the person who is thanked and transforms the one who gives thanks. God wants us to be blessed, to acknowledge our blessings, and to be a blessing!

The psalmist declared: "It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to his name." And so it is today. This song expresses it this way: “Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Holy One. Give thanks, for he’s given Jesus Christ, his Son. And now let the weak say I am strong; let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord for has done for us. Give thanks… Give thanks!” Indeed! To discover the true meaning of Thanksgiving, give thanks, then practice thanks living be a blessing to others! Amen!