Aiming our Gratitude

I recently came across a story that was pondering the nature of the Thanksgiving holiday.  The author made the point that those unattached to the church have no object towards which they could direct their gratitude on this institutionalized day of thanks.  “It must be an odd feeling to be thankful to nobody in particular,” he ponders, “It’s a little like being married in general (Cornelius Plantinga, Jr).”  This really got me thinking; how often, even in the church, do we merely take the instruction to “be grateful,” and yet fail to aim it at The Object worthy of our praise?

Karl Graustein, author of “Growing Up Christian,” asks the question, “Are you more grateful for the blessings in your life or the One who has given you each blessing?”  What I believe Karl is getting at here is the importance of the source of our blessings.  While there are times when we must be grateful to those around us who have blessed us financially, emotionally, or even spiritually, and showing our thanks to these people is a very necessary and important aspect of Christian community, I think Karl is aiming deeper.  I believe he is looking to The Source of our blessings, namely the Lord.  His quote therefore begs the question, how easy is it for us to be content with the blessings God has given to us without properly directing thanks?

As was common in biblical times, it is quite easy for us humans to begin worshipping the wrong things.  While we may not bow down to carved wooden idols, it is tempting to create idols by worshipping God’s gifts instead of God himself!  This becomes a temptation anytime we are grateful for the blessing “in general” instead of properly aiming our gratitude.

Another help in preventing idol creation is to properly attribute value to the blessings which we receive.  While thanking God for temporal things is important, our main purpose ought to be directing thanks for the ultimate blessing he gives us through the gospel of His Son.  This can be seen through the strong theme in scripture of the comparison between what is temporal and what is eternal.  In 1 Peter 1:3-9, Peter was encouraging select believers scattered around the known world that, “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…[believers have]…an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven…”  Just as in other parts of scripture, Peter contrasts our eternal salvation with “gold that perishes.”  What then, should be the true source of our gratitude?  The message is clear, the things of the world (including temporal blessings or sufferings) will pass away, but our salvation in Christ will be eternal.  This is truly something we are to be grateful for, seeing as how our salvation is so much more valuable than say the blessing of a car, our home, or even our children!  As the author of Hebrews puts it, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…(Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV).”

For what and to whom are you directing thanks? What is the source of your gratitude?  In light of what you’ve received are you offering “acceptable worship with the proper reverence and awe?”  I pray that this is something we can work on together in our Christian community.

-Ted Cockle, IF Staff Writer

What are You Grateful For?

As Christians, we know we should be grateful for everything that comes our way. We know that “every good and perfect gift” comes from God (James 1:17). But I find that it becomes far too easy to believe that I have a spirit of gratitude, while in the daily grind I’m full of bitter complaints and ingratitude. Sometimes it’s necessary to really think on those things we have to be grateful for and to call them out by name.

So here are a few things I’m thinking about today that I’m thankful for:

• My salvation. I’m grateful for God’s love. I don’t deserve it, but somehow He calls me His own. I’m grateful that He sent His Son to take my place as a sacrifice for my sins.
• My husband. He is a constant source of support and a tangible manifestation of God’s love for me. I’m grateful for his steadfast kindness, his strength, his humility, and his passion for life.
• My friends. It’s so good to have friends who I can relax with, who help me to forget about the stresses of the day, who lend an ear when I need one and who trust me to lend an ear when they need one.
• My dog. She’s a quirky goofball who usually manages to make my smile when everything else is going wrong. (Unless, of course, she’s misbehaving that day!)
• My family. We may have our ups and downs, but the long-term love of my family is a sustaining force in my life. I’m grateful for all that I’ve seen God do in their lives and for the ways they’ve overcome many difficult circumstances.
• My job. Though it can be stressful juggling so many tasks, I love talking about faith with all of you! I love that I don’t wake up in the morning dreading coming to work. I love that I’m working for a company I can stand behind and believe in.

What are some things you’re thankful for today?