Giving thanks

Here are two items to ponder as we celebrate an American holiday, Thanksgiving. As Christians, we especially have reason to give thanks to God on this day and all others. The posts may seem to contradict each other, but I believe a close reading of both will show they do not.

First, here is a blog post from yesterday by Ray Ortlund, lead pastor of Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tenn.:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-5

As Francis Schaeffer used to remind us, the devil rarely gives us the luxury of fighting on one front only. We see a monster in front of us wanting to devour us, and we back away in dread. But if we’re not careful, we’ll walk right into the jaws of another monster right behind us. We usually fight on two fronts at once.

Today we fight against materialism, especially the so-called Prosperity Gospel. But there is also the danger of asceticism, which denies the goodness of God in all things. This ultra-serious “holiness” is attractive, in a way. But it is also fraudulent. It tells an audacious lie about God and about us.

The truth is, everything created by God is good and is to be received gratefully. This beautiful truth includes marriage and sex and food and mowing the lawn and flying a kite and paying the bills and sharpening a pencil and sitting on the porch in the evening and playing Monopoly with the kids and laughing at hilarious jokes and setting up chairs at church, and on and on and on. There is so much divine goodness all around. To push it away, to be above it, would insult our gracious Creator.

Our earthly human existence is where true holiness can thrive. How? By thanking the Lord for it moment by moment, and by applying the word of God to it moment by moment. It is written, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Not ultimate, but good. Good enough for God. Good enough for us too.

Below is a video of Stuart Townend and fellow musicians doing sort of an Irish/bluegrass version of “My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness,” a song he co-wrote with Keith Getty and our church has done in corporate worship. Below the video is the story behind the song provided on Keith and Kristyn Getty’s website.

Even in our thankfulness, we can often betray what unspiritual beings we are.

If we examine our personal devotions, or listen in on a prayer meeting, our thanksgiving often focuses on health and position, family and friends, home and belongings (and all these are right and good; the Bible tells us to give thanks in every situation).

But the prayers of the early church in the New Testament never follow this pattern. The strong emphasis there is on giving thanks to God for spiritual blessings – the blessings that have true value beyond life on earth.

In “My heart is filled with thankfulness” we give thanks to God for spiritual blessings past, present and future. What Christ has done for us, for forgiveness and new life, which only he could bring by coming here to earth and suffering for us. How he walks beside us each day and having lived, breathed and walked here on earth[, h]ow he promises to be with us whatever our future hold[s].