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Give God thanks for good, bad
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Published: November 28, 2008
It is hard to believe that it is time for the holidays again. But look around you and, sure enough, the signs of the season are everywhere. Christmas trees, snow and wreaths adorn the malls and commercials on television offer savings on all your gift-giving needs.
But in all the hustle and bustle of this time of year, we have to be careful to remember what is truly important. Especially this weekend. By the time this article prints, everyone will have already enjoyed their turkey feasts and will be working on their leftovers.
The theme behind Thanksgiving stretches beyond the last Thursday in November, and should in all actuality be the basis for our everyday lives. The story of the first Thanksgiving tells of pilgrims and Indians celebrating together, being thankful for a good harvest that saved many of the colonists' lives.
However, "Thanksgiving" does not refer to just a holiday, or any one single day for that matter. Instead, it refers to the act of giving thanks or showing gratitude for what we have been blessed with.
In Thessalonians 5:18, the Bible says, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God." This is not necessarily as easy it sounds, for we aren't just to be thankful for the good things in our life, but also for our hardships and trials. Once we are thankful for everything, we are demonstrating true faith in God's will for our lives.
Likewise, we can ask God for help with our problems through prayers of thanks. Philippians 4:6 says, "We tell God our problems, making our requests known to Him with thanksgiving." By thanking the Lord for the opportunity to learn from him by going through adversity, we are not complaining about our situation or asking for resolution, but instead recognizing it as an opportunity to grow into a better person.
Thanksgiving is actually one of the five types of prayer in Christianity, along with adoration, penitence, petition and intercession. It is simply about showing appreciation for the gifts God has given us and should be incorporated into every prayer.
Anyone can be grateful and give thanks every day to the Lord for what they have, no matter where they fall on the social scale. A homeless person on the street who has a strong bond with the Lord, a warm shelter to sleep in and meals to eat may be more grateful than a "rich" person with lots of wealth that they take for granted.
The important thing to remember when giving thanks is to be grateful for everything that has happened in your life, both good and bad. Those things that you may look at now as tragedies may later turn into some of the best lessons of your life.
There is a reason God has given us everything we have. We should be grateful to him for all of those gifts, for the time and effort he puts into shaping us and for the undying love he gives us all year long.
jennifer baxter is a correspondent for the R&L. Send her e-mail at news@statesville.com.
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