The Weekly Encourager – January 10, 2018 – Joy in Thankfulness

If you slip in the mud and fall down, what is your first thought? Earlier today I slipped and fell. Being fully aware of my past history of breaks and sprains, my first thought was, “Thank You, Lord, that I didn't break anything or sprain anything this time.” The human tendency we all share is to be angry, upset, or annoyed when something bad happens. But over the past couple of years, God has been teaching me a different tendency. A habit of thankfulness has transformed my life, leading to so much joy!

After acknowledging God's goodness to me in that nothing was broken, it was only a few steps away to think of many more reasons to be thankful. First, I was glad that I had just read an article on “how to fall safely” so I remembered to fall on the “meat” of my body rather than on a bone. There's plenty of meat to fall on since I'm so well fed. Although all my clothes got muddy, how fortunate that this is not my only outfit: I have other clean clothes to put on. And how nice that I have a washer to do the job, and electricity to run it. Knowing that many people around the world struggle to find clean water, I already thank God on a regular basis for the blessing of fresh water. Mud in the yard means that the ice has melted, and I do appreciate warmer temperatures after the frigid weather we've had. Also, having a yard in the first place is a great gift from God. I could go on, but you get the idea.

I was not born with the tendency to be thankful. I was born with original sin like everyone else, plus I grew up in a family that tended toward negativity. But that was my family of origin. My new family is the family of God, those who are called by Jesus Christ to live in a radically different way, a way of life absolutely transformed by grace. He who has begun a good work in me is bringing it to pass, molding godly character, changing my heart and mind. Not feeling it? We can't do it on our own, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. He is the one who gives the ability to be thankful, yet our obedience plays a part.

Being thankful is a discipline. The more I read and study the Bible, the more I learn about God's love, power, wisdom, kindness, mercy, and every other fine aspect of His holy nature. The more I learn, the more I pray that I will see His character at work in my own life. The more I ask God for eyes to see His supreme beauty, the more I see. The more I see, the more I thank Him. God inhabits the praises of His people, so when I thank Him, I feel Him right there with me, filling my upheld cup with joy. I have just begun to learn how central thanksgiving is to the Christian life. Thankfulness is the cup held out to receive whatever the Lord brings. It is confident trust that whatever happens, be it a simple fall in the mud today or cancer last spring, it comes from the hand of God, because He is sovereign. It is an essential part of my journey and therefore to be sanctified unto Him. And because He is not just sovereign, but good (always and forever), how blessed we are to receive each thing from such a loving Father!

His mercies are new every morning. Shouldn't our thankfulness be new every morning, too? This is how we find God in the tough situations, by small but heartfelt acknowledgments of gifts He is happy to bestow. And when He's happy, we're happy! Over a year ago, I began posting a positive quote on Facebook each morning – my own tiny effort to counteract some of the harsh political posts of others. After a couple of months of that, I started posting “inspiring art of the day” and got an overwhelming reaction. People didn't want more quotes. People love to see these works of art. Our world can be so ugly, so full of hate, that people are longing for the good, the true, and the beautiful. They are crying out for justice, compassion, rightness, honesty, respect, cleanliness, hope. We as Christians have a wonderful opportunity to bring beauty to our little corner, wherever God has placed us. We can draw people's eyes up. But we are unfit to lift the eyes of others if our own eyes are stuck on the ground.

He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock. God pulled me out of a deep muddy hole when He called me to be His own. He has given such beautiful blessings that I can't help but thank Him from the heart. He continues to bless every day of my life. Let him who has eyes to see contemplate the perfect essence of God in all things, for He holds it all together, and it's all about Him. May our first thought be thankfulness each day, each hour, each moment. May we open our hearts to receive all the good gifts of the One who loves us best. Thank You, Lord!

God is faithful,
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