I have heard it over and over again. “I have nothing to be thankful for. I hate my job. My children are disrespectful. My family is constantly at each other’s throats and spending time with them seems more like a recipe for disaster than a joyous event to be celebrated. While others around me seem to be so happy, I am miserable.”
As clergy, we hear it all the time, and if this sounds like you…well, you are not alone. Yes, we live in a fallen world with a fallen economy. The bottom line? Life is tough and it’s not hard to find the negatives in our lives. Robin and I just had a fantastic visit with Casey, John, and the triplets. Yes, triplet babies. I am so impressed with John and Casey’s thankfulness for the gift they have been given in these babies. Difficult? You bet. Are they worn out each day? Sure who wouldn’t be; yet despite the difficulties of having three babies and only two hands they are working it out. Let’s face it no one escapes difficulties, we are all struggling with something. Despite what we are dealing with we need to remember to,
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
The media bombards us with images of what the good life should look like - dictating what our homes should look like, (just look at the home style magazines), what we should wear, what car to drive - a BMW or a Mercedes if you are successful. We pay huge sums to enroll our kids in all types of extracurricular activities and run ourselves ragged driving them here and there.
Wouldn’t you love to spend Thanksgiving Day at Martha Stewart’s farm with her recipe for the perfectly cooked turkey and trimmings; then sit at a beautifully decorated table with people who love, respect, and appreciate one another?
If we buy into this marketing hype we believe that we don’t measure up, we are not successful enough, or are not blessed enough. The truth is we have become so addicted to the comfortable life, it has become nearly impossible to even recognize the blessings in our lives, those which are much more prevalent than we often realize. We miss these blessings because we focus on trying to gain and acquire more of the stuff we think we want. Do we even really know what we want?
We are rarely taught to be thankful. We are a spoiled, ungrateful nation. Few of us are immune. I sometimes fall prey to this attitude myself. But it is at these times that I must remind myself of what God told Paul;
“My grace is sufficient.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
If more Christians would believe that, take it to heart and truly live it, their lives would be blessed beyond measure. They already are; they just don’t realize or accept it. What greater gift is there than the sacrifice of Christ dying on the cross for us insuring our eternal life? If we would simply accept this fact, our lives would look different. We would live more peacefully and we would have grateful hearts giving thanks for the simplest of things and enjoying the sometimes mundane activities of everyday life.
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17)
The recipe for happiness such as a big house, an expensive car, extravagant vacations, a dream job, and the money to support it all, suddenly does not seem nearly as important. Our focus begins to shift from the noise of the world as we begin to find joy in the basics of life. For me, it was seeing the babies smile for the first time and holding them after a feeding and feeling them fall asleep on my shoulder. I got to do a bike ride from Old Town Alexandria to Mount Vernon with my son-in law, John. I was in awe as the heavy clouds periodically gave way to allow the sun to peak through the trees as I rode along the Potomac River. It was a reason for celebration. If we stop to look at these things we begin to recognize and acknowledge the blessings that God bestows upon us every day.
“…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6).
It’s human nature to fear losing what you have worked so hard for. Perhaps you measure yourself by society’s standards of success, yet deep down you know that it would take very little for the world as you know it to topple. Our lives are always at risk of destruction. We are not exempt from life threatening illnesses. Even Christians lose jobs and homes. The bigger problem is that we think we have control over such things, and we are prone to try and overcome every obstacle by ourselves. That merely adds to our frustration and desperation and in the end we become part of the, ‘I am miserable club.’
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
Giving thanks is a daily exercise in faithfulness. The point of Thanksgiving Day in our prayer book is to give thanks to God for his blessings on our land and its fruits. It is also a reminder that we need to thank God for the things we have to be grateful for...not just for the obvious things like food, but for the thousands of fortunate moments, and the multitude of blessings that we receive each year. Make thankfulness an everyday habit. It's a skill that will benefit you throughout the year.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
This Thanksgiving I pray you will accept the greatest gift of all.
Be Thankful,
Bishop Ian
