If ingratitude drives a wedge between man and his creator, thanksgiving draws him closer. When we study the life of Jesus, we notice how often He gave thanks. We also discover that he practiced certain holy habits. He regularly went to worship in either the Temple or a synagogue.

In our Scripture reading for this sermon, we find Jesus in the Upper Room with his friends. They are about to eat but before they broke the bread, what did Jesus do? He practiced the holy habit of thanksgiving. Luke writes, "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks. . ."

Why was it so important to Jesus to offer gratitude to God? Because Jesus knew and wanted everyone else to know that every good gift comes from the hand of our loving Creator. Developing a habit of thanksgiving is the best way to start getting right with God. Giving thanks directs your attention away from yourself and toward the Lord. This thanks giving can be inspired by the ordinary events of life. Here are a few thoughts of why it is so important.

First, it is important because it reminds us of how much we owe to forces outside of ourselves, and how much all of us, regardless of rank, are in the hands of Providence.

We are reminded that we are in the hands of Someone who never forgets us and who provides for us in ways to numerous to mention. That is what the pilgrims wished to acknowledge when they celebrated that first Thanksgiving Day so long ago. What did they have to be thankful for? Half of the settlers had died in that first harsh winter. The rest of them had scarcely eked out an existence, holding on desperately despite starvation and sickness and cold. When things began to look a little better, they were indeed grateful to God for life and harvest and hope for a better future.

Rev. Doughty tells of a family who gathered for Thanksgiving just three weeks after the mother in the home had died of cancer. The one married son and his wife drove in from several hundred miles away. The daughter in college came back for the weekend. They joined the father and the two younger children who were still in high school. When the family had seated itself for the meal, the father looked at them, and said, "This is not an easy time for us, I know, but of all the things I would like to give thanks for today, I would like to give thanks for healing." The expressions on the other faces indicated that in some way they already understood. He went on, "We did not have the outward healing we wanted from the start. Though even there, we were given a little more time than we expected. And in that time, your mother and I came to a rich sense of peace. That was God's gift of healing. And she perceived the wonderful goodness of her life. That too was God's gift of healing. And we, right here, have an even greater closeness than before. This too is God's gift for our healing." After this they joined hands and gave thanks to the God, who, in the words of Malachi, sends the wings of healing.

We can give thanks because we are in the hands of Providence.

The second thing I want to say is that as we become thankful as we practice the attitude of gratitude. Thanksgiving should be a holy habit, just as if it were a regular matter of worship, which it is. This requires a conscious effort to see the blessings of life that are all around us. We can't earn them and we don't pay one thing for them. We can only be grateful for them.

When John Wesley was at Oxford University, he met a porter on the campus who did not have much of the world's goods. Yet he amazed Wesley by his profound gratitude for what he did have. Noticing the thinness of the man's old coat, Wesley asked about it. "This is the only coat I have," the man said, "and I thank God for it." John Wesley learned that the man didn't have much to eat that day and was startled to hear him say that he was grateful to God for what he had been able to eat. Wesley asked him what else he was grateful to God for? The man said, "I thank god for life, for a heart to love, and a desire to serve." His answer stayed with Wesley for the rest of his life. He had been deeply impressed by a man who practiced the holy habit of thanksgiving. It was a religious act of worship for him. He became thankful as he practiced this holy habit.

The third thing I want to say about the importance of thanks giving is that it will enable us to thank God regardless of what life brings. We can be thankful in adversity because we know that God still cares for us and will see us through to victory regardless of what comes. Even if we become sick and death comes, we can praise God because we know that beyond the shadows of earth there is the light of eternity.

There are times when we don't feel like giving thanks. At such a time we need to remember we are dealing with our feelings, rather than the larger picture from God's view. It is easy to talk about our difficulties and the people who irritate us. But there are also those around us who practice this holy habit of thanks giving, and inspire us to live more faithfully. I have met such people in every church I have ever served.

There was the farmer in the first church I served who always had a positive outlook. When others were saying it was too dry for the crops, he said, "This is just right for the wheat to ripen." When others said it was too wet to get into the fields, he said, "It will quit soon enough." This man lived to age 99 and I am sure it had to be because of his outlook and trust in God.

There was another farmer in another church I served who showed me this thankful spirit. He suffered several strokes until he couldn't care for himself. His wife fed him and cared for him in their farm home for many years. He missed not being able to be out working. I couldn't understand his slurred speech. During each visit we shared stories about family, had prayer and communion. As we drew close to Christmas one year, they asked how the building fund was coming. They knew as they were one of those loyal families who read every word in the church Newsletter. Even though they didn't get out, they were very interested in the church. Before I left that day they gave me a check for $15,000 toward the debt. Rather than focus on their own difficulties, they reached out to the community and the church and expressed their thanks in every way they could.

There have been many other such people. They would be embarrassed to be noticed or lifted up as doing anything special. Yet, they take what life has given to them and give back what they can to help others know the love of God.

If I would suggest anything for us, it would be to take time to express our love and thanks to God. It doesn't have to be a big formal prayer. Just take a moment to tell god how much life means to you, how appreciative we are for our families and friends, of how much we cherish the freedoms we enjoy in this country, and how grateful we are for the church which keeps reminding us of God's love and of offering us an opportunity to serve our fellow humans.

Let us faithfully begin to practice the holy habit of thanks giving.

A Time for Hope


More online devotions are available on our Christian Resources page!

---

Return to the St. Luke Homepage

Go to page.... St. Luke Homepage Upcoming Service Information Missions & Outreach   Food Bank   Grief Support Christian Internet Resources Contact Us Online Tour Online Guestbook

Web space generously provided by Internet Nebraska
For technical problems with the St. Luke website, please

The Cross and Flame is a registered trademark and the use is supervised by the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church. Permission to use the Cross and Flame must be obtained from the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church - Legal Department, 1200 Davis Street, Evanston, IL 60201.