Thanks Giving and Giving Thanks

I love Thanksgiving.  Our culture has taken us to a place where we jump from Halloween to "the Holidays" aka Christmas and New Years.  I heard today through a friend that there were people already setting up a tent in the Best Buy parking lot next to his house.  They were of course doing this so that they could hit the Black Friday Sales.  My question is, "Are these people celebrating Thanksgiving?"  Our culture has become so consumed with the next best sale and buying the best gadget, that they are missing out on one of our calendar's best holidays, Thanksgiving.

There are many texts in Scriptures that talk about Thanksgiving.  The one that I get hung up on every time comes from Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Give thanks in all circumstances."  Now, I don't know about you, but I have a hard time swallowing that verse.  Paul is saying that no matter what life throws at you, be thankful.

Jesus is a prime example of someone who understands this admonishment.  Any passage you read that records what took place at the last supper in the upper room, with Jesus and His disciples, tells us that Jesus gave thanks before He administered the first communion.  At the last supper, Jesus is getting ready to fulfill His purpose for coming to earth, ultimately to die.  He was getting ready to be betrayed.  He was getting ready to face mockery and beating.  He was getting ready to face crucifixion which meant being nailed to a cross.  He knew this was coming, and yet on the night He was betrayed, He paused and gave thanks.

I could think of a hundred reasons why it would be difficult to give thanks in all circumstances.  Our sister church in town lost their church building in a fire last week.  A friend of my wife and I lost her son, who was 12 years old, to a battle with cancer last week.  Another friend of ours is asking the Lord to heal his mother who was badly injured in a serious car accident last Friday.  This last year, when my son fell into a fire, that was a time when it was difficult to give thanks to the Lord.

The Greek words used for give thanks, as recorded in the gospel account of what Jesus did at the last supper, is the same as the Hebrew word barak which means "to kneel down, to bless or praise God as an act of adoration."  Giving thanks is synonymous with worship.  Jesus took time to praise God even though He was about to face death.

In light of this, the reason Paul challenges us to give thanks in all circumstances is because of the fact that even when life is bad, God still deserves our thanks and praise.  No matter how difficult life may be, Jesus is still worthy of our praise because of who He is and what He has done for us.  Jesus paid the price for our sins.  He was sacrificed for us so that we might receive salvation.  Because of that, He is worthy!

Let me encourage you, no matter what you are going through right now, take time to praise the Name of Jesus.  Take time to consider His goodness and faithfulness. He is good and His love endures forever.  God is good, all the time!