For What Are You Thankful?
What if you were sitting in a prison in the Middle East and you had no idea why you were arrested and it was Thanksgiving Day, for what would you be thankful?
Would your circumstances and fears be so overwhelming that you could not think of anything for which you are grateful? Or would your situation cause you to focus on what matters most in life and not worry about the things from which you had been so heartlessly deprived?
Some people seem to be able to keep their emphasis on the blessings that they do have, while others people will insist on focusing on all the things they don’t have in life, even when they appear to be awash in blessings, both material and psychological.
Christians can lose so much of the peace and joy that God intends for them to experience just by their failure to be thankful. Western Christianity's sense of entitlement seems to know no bounds, while our missionaries in Africa and Third World countries tell stories about Christians living in extreme poverty who are filled with joy and gratitude when they gather for all-day worship services in very humble churches.
We could learn a very valuable lesson from them which they apparently learned from the Apostle Paul:
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice. Let all people know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
Happy Thanksgiving
Your Servant in Christ,
Pastor Tom