Friday, November 22, 2019 by Lara Cook
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Selective
thanksgiving is something we all have done possibly without realizing it. We are thankful for what we see as beneficial
to our life and health, and we are thankful for what we like and the prayers
that are answered the way we think they should be answered. True thankfulness
is not merely acknowledging what we see as good, but accepting what He has
given as good, and that means even giving thanks for some hard things.
In Luke
22:19 Jesus shows us the way to give thanks.
He is about to be crucified and He knows it – not the circumstances most
would feel thankful for, yet He was thankful for the grace and glory that was
to result form the cross. And he took bread, and when he had
given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which
is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” The Greek word for “thanks” in this verse is eucharisteo. Ann Voskamp explains this word beautifully:
The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the
bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be
gift and gave thanks. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for
grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning
“joy.” Charis. Grace. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Chara. Joy.
When we give God thanks for the gifts He gives, He
gives another gift back to us – joy. When we can be grateful and joyful in every
circumstance, we see things differently.
Our perspective changes. Thanksgiving is not just a day, it is a way of
life. That means that we don’t have to wait for things to change or get better or
search endlessly for some elusive fairy tale called joy. It is here and now, in every circumstance,
when we can give thanksgiving to God.
A heart
of gratitude will be a content heart.
Pain, gratitude, and contentment can actually co-exist even though it
may not be our favorite trio of feelings.
Being thankful in all things certainly doesn’t mean we are thankful for
the circumstances we are in. It means that – in spite of the
circumstances we are thankful because we know and understand who God is. Ann Voskamp also said Thanksgiving is the
one thing God asks to be done in everything and always…He knows what precedes
the miracle. In every circumstance
God is at work for some purpose. It may
simply be for us to learn to be thankful in everything. Or it may be that this circumstance you are
in right now is a tiny piece of the miracle He has ahead in your life. Until we can be thankful in each circumstance
– or piece of the miracle - we cannot see the next piece. Every little piece
makes the whole and its all important.
Help your children to understand this life-giving principle. All we have, we have because of Him and we need
to model gratitude to God for everything, and in every circumstance. We are our children’s first perception of
God. We need to show our kids an
attitude of gratitude in good times and bad.
This next week as we celebrate Thanksgiving, remember
these three words, grace, thanksgiving, and joy. Eucharisteo.
Jesus is the only way we are able to give thanksgiving at all times and in all
circumstances. Thanksgiving to Him will bring us the joy we so desperately
need.
Always giving thanks to God the
Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20
Ephesians 5:20
