Cultivating Thankfulness at All Times

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every 

perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with 

whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:16-17 NASB

Like every good mother I  worked hard to instill habits of good behavior in my children as they were growing up.  One that was particularly important to me was ensuring that they developed a response to say "Thank you" every time they were given a gift.  And they became very good at it.  Their bedtime prayers were usually long lists of things they were thankful for.  I'm not sure it cultivated an attitude of gratitude or if they were just going through the motions at the time, but it did develop a ready response of thankfulness in them for sure. Now with the American holiday of Thanksgiving upon us I want to take a fresh look at thankfulness and why it's so important.  

James, the brother of Jesus, tells us that "every good thing and every perfect gift" is from God.  The word every in the Greek language is an emphatic all...nothing is excluded.  Each and every good thing...sunshine, clean air, a comfortable home, warm embraces from dear friends, good food, especially Berkey Creamery ice cream, and the list goes on and on and on...is ultimately a gift from our loving heavenly Father.  Always.  Without exception.  I may have done an exceptional job in teaching my children to say "Thank you" but if I haven't instilled this truth, that our good God is the provider of all good things, I have failed miserably.  It is to Him that our thankfulness belongs.  It is an act of worship.

 Now I think I did a reasonably good job teaching my children this truth, however, I know in my everyday life I sometimes forget. I know for sure when things don't seem to be going the way I want them to go I forget the simple truth that God is good.  That may be why James precedes his pronouncement of all good things coming from God with the precursor "Do not be deceived."  Our minds so readily run to ourselves instead of to God.  So easily.  In the context of these verses we see something that may be somewhat shocking to our comfort driven Western minds.  Good things won't always look good to us!!  These verses conclude the section that James starts with "consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials..."  Consider.  The Greek word means "lead the way."  In other words, head into suffering with joy.  And not just any joy.  The word "all" here is the exact same Greek word, pas, we saw translated "every."  To lead the way with joy, indeed non-exclusionary and overflowing joy, into our trials changes things a bit.  Wouldn't you say?

When we learn to be thankful even in dour circumstances it changes us.  I suffered from depression for a number of years.  The thing that helped me to start to turn that around was thankfulness.  I received a signed copy of Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy as a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law along with an encouraging "I hope you find this book helpful."  She clearly saw what probably many saw; I was stuck in thanklessness.  Either that or God caused Nancy DeMoss to write just the right book at the right time for me.  That would be just like my dear heavenly Daddy!  As I started pouring through that book God showed me His way of joy - through being thankful.  My mind started to change as I practiced looking for things to be thankful for. They abound when you make the effort to look!!!  I became less focused on myself and everything that I perceived I lacked and became more focused on God and what He had already provided for me.  It was genuine change wrought by God's Spirit working through my efforts to change perspectives.  And change they did!  I no longer had to struggle to get up in the morning.  There were things and people and circumstances to be thankful for.  I began to see God differently as well.  I could really see Him as the Father of lights who gives every perfect gift.  Thankfulness opened my heart to be able to receive even greater gifts from God.  But that's a story for a different time!

It starts with a simple "Thank you."  Get specific with your thanks.  Take in a big gulp of crisp air and say "Thanks for the air You give me to breathe, God."  Simple, but specific.  Watch for graces in every avenue of life.  And be thankful.  It takes practice.  I am better at it some days than others.  This hasn't turned me into a sickeningly syrupy ball of cheerfulness who annoys everyone else because I only see through rose colored glasses.  I don't think I've ever worn rose colored glasses!  My husband, Alan will tell you that.  I feel as though it's given me the ability to impart the aroma of Christ however.  

               But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal 

               procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge 

              of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among 

              those who are being saved and among those who are perishing...

                                                                                    2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Trust me, when you can be the aroma of Christ to the lost and the hurting and when God gets the glory for it, there is absolutely nothing better anywhere!  Let it begin with thanfulness.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!