The Blessing of Thanksgiving
John Telgren

 

I recently read about a comedian's act that illustrates just how grateful many people are. The comedian talks about being on one of the first airplanes to
have Wi-Fi. After take off, the connection worked for only a few minutes, then broke down. The man sitting next to the comedian began to swear in his disgust.  The comedian remarked, "How quickly the world owes him something he didn't know existed ten minutes ago." He then goes on to highlight how many people describe their airline travel as though it were something out of a horror film. People sometimes speak of it being the worst day of their life because they had to wait twenty minutes to board and then sit on the runway for forty minutes before taking off! The comedian then replies, "Oh really? Did you fly through the air incredibly, like a bird? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight?" The comedian then remarked how everyone on the plane should be in awe that they are actually sitting in a chair in the sky! Instead, a passenger complains about his seat when trying to get it to recline by saying, "It doesn't go back a lot!"
 

I sometimes wonder if there is a connection between chronic complaining and pride or self-centeredness. Pride and self-centeredness can make it
impossible to be thankful about much if anything. Yet the Bible repeatedly instructs God's people to give thanks to Him. For that, attention must be taken off ourselves and placed on God.
 

Here is a small sampling:
 

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting" (Psalm 107:1).

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).
 

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father" (Colossians 3:17).
 

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving" (Colossians. 4:2).
 

". . . in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
(1 Thessalonians. 5:18).
 

"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15).
 

It occurs to me that since God is not served by human hands as though He needed anything (Acts 17:25), thanksgiving is more for us than it is for God. A constant attitude of thanksgiving even in our requests helps open us up to the peace of God that guards our hearts and minds in Christ (Philippians 4:6-7).  It helps to displace anxiety with peace. It helps eliminate the bitterness that drains joy. It opens eyes up to the blessings God rains down on his people. It helps to endear people to God and to others.  It enables people to become encouragers rather than discouragers.

This means that we should work to make thanksgiving a part of our daily life. So take a few moments and thank God for blessings you have not thanked Him for in awhile.