The Purpose of Thank You
Thanksgiving is around the corner. A day in which our nation encourages us to stop and give thanks. In fact if you are interested in the original proclamation, you can find it here.
Let me ask, why do we give thanks? No, I am not talking about you giving me a list of blessings, why do you need to give thanks? Why say thank you at all?
Can you imagine a life without thank you?
I’ll be honest, I would quickly feel taken advantage of or walked over. I don’t do what I do simply to receive thanks, but thank you are two powerful words that let me know a connection has been made.
And, when I forget to say thank you, I quickly become entitled. I forget that I am not owed that which I have received. What was done for me was done out of love and respect.
So, when Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians, the fifth chapter to:
Verse 16: Rejoice always
Verse 17: pray without ceasing,
Verse 18: give thanks in all circumstances
Because: For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
We should dwell for a minute on what that means. Not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. Celebrate what the Lord has done, talk to Him and give thanks no matter what.
When you are around the dinner table: celebrate, pray, give thanks.
When you are with friends: celebrate, pray, give thanks.
When you are in the classroom or at work: celebrate, pray, give thanks.
When you are in the hospital: celebrate, pray, give thanks.
When you are in the funeral home: celebrate, pray, give thanks.
From beginning to end, we are called to give God what is due a loving Father: celebrate, pray, give thanks.
This season, I challenge you not to dwell upon what you don’t have. Do not define yourself by what you are missing. Begin to thank God for all the blessings he has given you instead. We become what we think. Whatever you think about throughout the day, will affect your whole personality and mood. Don’t get dragged down into the negative. God’s will for you is that even in your darkest moments you have the joy of knowing that this Thanksgiving Feast is nothing compared to the Feast of the Lamb, the celebration of life everlasting. A celebration that is unending. Let’s not make Thanksgiving a single day now passed. Nor let’s simply see it as a gateway to the Christmas season. Let us take this time to reflect and change the way we think. Take some time now, and think about the blessings you have in your life. Upon the gifts that God has given to you. And rest in the knowledge that you are a loved child of God.
My prayer for you this season, whether you are feeling merry or miserable, is that you can move forward, thanking God for not just what He has done in your life, but what He will do for you in the future…. for forever.
Struggling with contentment, but made complete in Christ,
-Pastor Dan