Gratitude is Strong Willed

I’ve seen this verse on many signs in front of churches around Northwest Arkansas, and it is no wonder why.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18

It is the reason for the season (the one before Christmas anyway). It is Thanksgiving—the holiday for gratitude, for giving thanks.

It is a good opportunity to take holidays like Thanksgiving and let them reset us in important values and practices. At the same time, good things that come along with holidays like this one can eclipse the central meaning of it. Thanksgiving can become mainly about dishes and side dishes, family and football just like Christmas can become about decorations and presents. These are good things, of course, but gratitude and Christ are central.

Not only can these good things that come along with the holidays eclipse the central things, but also these good things lose their luster without gratitude. A simple, heartfelt “thank You” is perhaps the best way to receive a gift and to honor the Giver—it enriches the experience of the gift and the Giver all the more.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..."
James 1:17

“For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Romans 1:21

What if we ate the roasted turkey without thanking the cook for the hours of preparation? What if we enjoyed the presence of family without saying, “Thank you for coming?” If we did that, our enjoyment of those good gifts and relationships would be diminished. Instead, we can enjoy the good gifts, thank the givers, and thank the ultimate Giver—God.

Gratitude is God’s will for us. It is what He would like for us, would choose for us, desires for us. There’s no stronger will than God’s! And, He has prepared creation and redemption for us to receive, enjoy, and give thanks for it whether it seems to be the holiday or season or not to us. There is always a good gift somewhere that God wants us to find and be grateful for.

Like the old saying goes: “God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.” I wonder how often we can give thanks then? Surely, it’s all the time. We always have an opportunity to express gratitude to a God who is good all of the time and gives good gifts all of the time.

May our will join up with God’s will for us. “How” you ask?! Say, “thank You” for as many “good and perfect gifts” you encounter this Thanksgiving holiday—and, any other day for that matter.