With our ‘Thanksgiving’ month concluding on Sunday, I thought I’d offer a final reflection on thanksgiving. I suspect that many of us would not think of ourselves as ungrateful but you might want to think again because ingratitude shows up in our lives in a variety of ways: complaining, comparing, having a victim mindset, discontentment etc.
The people of Israel is a great case study on ungratefulness (read Exodus). It didn’t matter what God did, they looked for something to complained about. Despite God miraculously leading them out of slavery, despite being provided for in the desert on numerous occasions, despite God defeating their enemies right before their eyes, they whinged and doubted His goodness constantly, wishing they had their old lives back in Egypt!
We are not all that different, are we? I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve grumbled against God, losing sight of His goodness completely. The ‘Merriam-Webster’ defines ingratitude as follows: forgetfulness of or poor return for kindness received. Do you know one of the repeated charges God gave to the people of Israel was, “Do not forget the LORD” (read Deuteronomy 8). Let me share with you a person who took this command to heart.
Out of an estimated 300 songs Henry Smith Jr wrote, only one was published and extensively recorded. “Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart” – known for its simple melody but rich biblical content – was written in 1978. He and his wife sang the song several times at their church. On one of these occasions, a military couple was present who loved the song so much they taught it back in Germany where they were stationed. Its popularity spread. Somehow ‘Hosanna! Music’ got hold of it and included it in a worship album they produced. The author was cited as ‘unknown’. Then in 1986, a friend of Smith’s bought the album, played ‘Give Thanks’ (because he liked it so much) and asked if he had ever heard of it, to which he replied, “I wrote that song!’
The inspiration behind the song was a sermon his pastor preached on 2 Corinthians 6:8-10, where Paul wrote that despite the hardships he was facing, despite his heart aching, he could still rejoice. The reason: he was blessed beyond measure with spiritual riches to give to others (read also 2 Corinthians 8:9 & 12:10).
When Smith wrote the song, he was unemployed and was facing financial insecurity. Furthermore, due to a degenerative visual impairment that eventually left him legally blind, he faced an uncertain future. But through God’s word, his outlook on life changed. The following words in his song captures this shift: And now let the weak, say, ‘I am strong’. Let the poor say, ‘I am rich’. Because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks!’.
Thanksgiving and gratitude is powerfully restorative and life giving. It can relieve us of anxiety (read Philippians 4:6). It helps us remember and refocus on God’s character (Psalm 107:1).
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18).
Mark
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