“Something sounds weird.”
Those were the words that Silas said as he came into our room in the middle of the night. He had woken up, and as he was trying to go back to sleep, he heard an unusual noise.
“It sounds like some type of siren.”
First things first. I will admit that I have not always responded well to these types of situations when I’m tired or sleeping. Oftentimes, my first response is to just want to go back to sleep. There’s usually a good chance that I will respond with the classic “Everything’s fine. It’s probably the walls creaking, or maybe it’s the wind outside. Just go back to bed.” I know. I need to work on that. This time, though, my response was different. Instead of my normal incoherent grunting and pleading for more rest, I decided to get up and see what was going on in the house. I crawled out of bed to check the furnace…what Silas suspected was having the issue.
He was right.
It wasn’t acting correctly.
It would start and stop, start and stop, start and stop, but there was no flame. No heat. The furnace was broken. I had to turn the system off so that the noises would stop and we could get some rest…thankful that I could return to my slumber but uncertain of what the next day might hold for the furnace.
Thanksgiving can be a funny thing (at least it can be for me.) We had just celebrated the holiday less than a week before the furnace quit, and it was relatively easy to give thanks on that day. Most of the family was together. More food than we could eat was provided. Games were played. Laughter was shared. Fellowship was had. Pies were sampled. The turkey and ham were delicious and warm, and a lot of things went well. Though life wasn’t free from worries and cares by any means, it wasn’t that hard to see the evidence of good things. It wasn’t that hard to give thanks. Thanks to God for his blessings. Thanks to God for family. Thanks to God for food. Thanks to God for a safe place to sleep with protection from the elements and a furnace to keep us warm.
Yes, thanksgiving is a funny thing because it is something that is asked of us at all times…even on days when we aren’t stuffing our faces full of turkey and mashed potatoes. You remember this classic from Paul, right?
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
As many times as I’ve looked at this verse, it never seems to change. It never seems to say something like “Rejoice when life goes how you want it to go. Pray when you need it. Give thanks when God answers those prayers exactly how you want them to be answered.” To me, that would be much easier. A modified statement like that would more accurately reflect my day-to-day behavior, and I could say “I do that!” But, no. That’s not what God asks of us. That’s not what is said. Instead, we get “Rejoice always.” “Pray continually.” “Give thanks in ALL circumstances.”
Giving thanks is easier when life is “good,” but what do we do when the turkey gets cold? (This is no comment on the literal act of eating cold turkey. I, for one, love a nice, cold turkey sandwich. Little bit of garlic salt. Some Miracle Whip. Delicious.) What do we do when the furnace breaks in the middle of the night or the car won’t run or the pain lingers or we receive that call from the doctor’s office that confirms our worst fears? What do we do as we face persistent hardships or situations that never seem to change? Do we still give thanks then? Do we still give thanks in the midst of the struggle? When life gets more challenging? Are we still able to thank God when the house is empty and the party is over and the pie is gone and we’re faced with some of dark realities of life? Can we celebrate Thanksgiving then?
I’m reminded as I type this letter that thanksgiving is a directive, and it is also a choice. It is a directive in that God directs us to give thanks. God asks for us to engage in the act of thanksgiving, regardless of the extenuating circumstances. At all times, in all places, no matter what may be happening in our lives, we are told by God to give thanks. That is the directive. Give thanks. At all times. Even though it is a directive, it is also a choice, giving thanks to God is a decision that we make. Though it may be more difficult to give thanks when things don’t go as we hoped or planned, it is still a choice, a decision. Will we choose to give thanks, or will we do something else? Will we choose to heed God’s directive or will we ignore it and go down another path?
Even now, I am presented with that opportunity to give thanks or to complain. To praise God or to grumble. To me, the opportunity is always there to do either. There are ALWAYS things for which we can be thankful, and there are ALWAYS things about which we might complain. To me, life consistently presents the opportunity for either option. The question is more of a matter of how we respond.
For instance, right at this moment in my life there are things that are less than ideal, less than how I wish they would be, but there are also things for which I am incredibly grateful. That is reality. How will I respond? That is the question.
Will I choose to grumble because my fingers are cold, that the furnace isn’t fixed yet? Or will I be thankful that I still have a place to rest my head, that there are people in my life that care about our family and that even now someone is working on getting that furnace situation rectified? Will I choose to focus on the fact that my car is once again sitting in need of repair, or will I be thankful that we have another one to drive or that we have vehicles in the first place? (And just to be clear, that furnace and car business are minor. There are other, more difficult challenges that we are facing that present the same type of choices just on a larger scale.)
Will I choose to give thanks?
Or won’t I?
Will I follow the directive of God?
Or won’t I?
The Thanksgiving Holiday has passed. Just like that. In the blink of an eye, it was over. The Advent season is here, but the directive remains. Give thanks.
Give thanks for the goodness of God that may be found in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)
Give thanks for the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. (Philippians 4:6)
Give thanks for the joy of God that is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
Give thanks for the hope of God that will not disappoint. (Hebrews 11:1)
Give thanks for the love of God that sacrificially paid the debt that we owe. (John 3:16)
Give thanks for the power of God that is perfected in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Give thanks for the wisdom of God that is higher than our own. (1 Corinthians 1:25)
Give thanks for the ways of God that are not like ours. (Isaiah 55:8)
Give thanks for the nature of God who alone is holy. (Revelation 4:8)
We could go on.
Give thanks.
Period.
At all times. In all places. Whether you feel like it or not.
Give thanks.
Friend, I don’t know the troubles that you are facing. I don’t know the hardships in your life. I don’t know the difficulties that you are walking through, the pain that you are feeling, the heartache that comes on especially strong during this time of year. I don’t know what is broken, or what needs mending, or what hopes have faded away. I do not know any of those things, but I do know this. God asks for you to give thanks. Even in the midst of all of those challenging times. Would you heed his directive and choose to respond in that manner? Would you choose to give thanks?
At times, this decision may seem counterintuitive. It may seem like the incorrect choice. We might ask, “Why should I give thanks now? After all, nothing is going how I’d like for it to go.” Even so, give thanks, and trust that God knows what He is doing in making this request. We may even find out that there is some personal benefit in following God’s advice.
Paul says it this way in his letter to the Philippians:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
~Philippians 4:6-7
I don’t know how you feel about that passage, but that sounds like a pretty good payout to me. The peace of God transcending all understanding, guarding my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. That sure seems like something that would be helpful to experience in my life…especially whenever the turkey is cold and the furnace is broken. Peace even in the midst of those situations? Sign me up! Still, there is participation that is asked for on our end, there is a part of us to play, and at the heart of it is choosing to give thanks.
Give thanks.
Give thanks.
Give thanks.
~ Pastor Chris
P.S. If you haven’t spent some time thanking God, why not spend a moment to do so now? Say a prayer and thank the Lord. Go over the list above, look up those Bible passages. Thank God for those things. You can do it! Give thanks.
P.P.S. Though the furnace and car were broken as I typed, they have now been fixed! Yes, I am thanking God for those blessings as well!
