THANKFUL

 

Write From My Heart

November 15, 2021

THANKFUL  expression of appreciation

1 Thessalonians 5:18  …give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

            When we consider what it means to be thankful, perhaps the above noted verse is the first one that comes to mind. Being thankful in every circumstance we find ourselves is not always easy, yet it is the only proper reaction in view of God’s love and mercy toward us. My heart is reminded of two related events from the Old and New Testaments.

            From the Old Testament we remember the jubilant exodus of the children of Israel from their Egyptian bondage. They were truly thankful in expressions of appreciation for all God had done. They sang and danced full of praises to the Lord God Almighty. Of course just a few days later they were back to their persistent grumbling and complaining, so their thankful attitude did not last long (Exodus 12-16).

            From the New Testament we remember the ten lepers who were healed of their chronic, and at the that time incurable, disease of leprosy. We know from the account that only one man came back praising God and thanking Jesus. Being a Samaritan, this man was the most unlikely of the group to be appreciative, and yet he showed the greatest humility and appreciation of all (Luke 17:11-19). How tragic that Jesus was placed in a position of having to ask where all the other thankful people were?

            How does this relate to us today? It is mid-November and fast approaching the day we celebrate as Thanksgiving Day. To be honest, most of us live the kind of lives that reflect anticipation of Concerngiving Day or worse, Complaintgiving Day. Our list of worries, concerns, grumbles, and complaints seem to far outweigh our thankfulness. Perhaps it is time to reflect on the true meaning of being thankful. Are we thankful for only short timespans? Or do we place our Heavenly Father in the position of having to wonder why we never returned to thank him? Neither response is acceptable for a child of such a loving, merciful, faithful Heavenly Father. Yes, perhaps it is time to consider the true meaning of being thankful.