Living a life shaped by thankfulness

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and if you are one of the daring ones who ventured out early on Black Friday, I hope you made it through unscathed. But just because the holiday is over doesn’t mean the thanking should stop.

William Law, the 18th century British theologian, once wrote: “Would you know who is the greatest Christian in the world? It is not the one who prays the most or fasts the most; it is not the one who gives the most offerings or is pre-eminent for self-control, chastity, or justice; but it is the one who is always thankful to God.” Amen, Reverend.

After the apostle Paul and Silas had been beaten with rods, they were imprisoned, their feet placed in stocks. Yet at midnight they sang hymns and prayed. That moment became a foundation-shaking event, not only in their lives but in the lives of the other prisoners.

How high does your “thank-o-meter” rise when you are tested by adversity? For many of us, breaking into song would not be our first response if we were beaten and jailed.

A lifestyle of praise and thanksgiving does not appear overnight. Like any habit, it grows over time. Paul and Silas didn’t decide on a whim to “give thankfulness a try.” What is in us is what comes out when we are squeezed. In hard times, what comes out of you: thanksgiving or complaining?

When Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish, it was through giving thanks that he turned a “not enough” situation into a “more than enough” feast.

The ancient Israelites were commanded to offer animal sacrifices, but the writer of Hebrews says New Covenant believers are to “offer up the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our mouth giving thanks to his name.” If the hard times of your past play like a broken record in your mind, start remembering what God has done for you. Rehearse your victories. A thankful lifestyle is a choice, an act of the will. It pushes back against fear and self-pity.

Paul told the Thessalonians: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Many Christians ask what God’s will is for their life. Well, there is part of it: rejoice, pray and give thanks. We do not get a day off from gratitude, and it certainly is not a once-a-year event.

A life of constant thankfulness is like going to the gym. You do not bench press 300 pounds on your first day, but with time and effort, strength grows. Let’s get in shape—thankfulness shape.

Ken Staley is pastor of Faith Church of Pleasant Grove, 9:30 a.m., and Harrisville Methodist, 11 a.m. Both are Global Methodist congregations. Text him at 918-852-9797.