Unique Thanks

Today is the day the United States celebrates a day of Thanksgiving. Most Americans celebrate by eating a tremendous amount of food and spending time with family. A lot watch football. At one point or another voluntarily, or under the "we're not going to eat until everyone says what they're thankful for" pressure at the dinner table, today a major portion of Americans will express that for which they give thanks.

There is the usual list of things most commonly mentioned such as: family, friends, living in a country where we have so much freedom, having a job, ect.

While all of these things are important and are not diminished at all by the fact that they are most commonly mentioned when giving thanks. This year is different for me. In addition to the "common" list, I'm thankful for a few things that most people wouldn't mention.

I'm thankful for God's conviction through His word. Over the past year, through reading scripture and listening to bible based expository preaching, God has worked in my life and my heart has been changed. I have grown to where I can see God's perspective. I have learned that, as His child, it is my responsibility to obey what God tells me to do. I have learned that changing from my ways to God's ways is both an evidence of true faith in Christ and a process at the same time. The process which at most times is not easy or comfortable. But that's okay. I've come to a place in my life where being uncomfortable isn't necessarily a synonymous with being discontent.

I understand that if I am in a place where I'm not content its because The Holy Spirit is trying to move me to a place where I need to be. He is working on me; moving away me from sin and closer to God and His Holiness. My response to the Spirit's work in my life usually requires work on my part as well as a focused effort to change. That's not a problem for me any more though. I don't mind being on the spiritual "hot seat." As a matter of fact it's the only place I want to be. It means God and I are working together on my life. That's the part about which I am really thankful.

I am thankful that Love isn't always easy or convenient. It's a matter of self denial for the sake of taking on the attributes of God. When people in our lives who are not very easy to love that's when you have to look at them through the eyes of Loving God.

1st Corinthians 14, the "Love Chapter" of the Bible states that Love never seeks its own way. That's God's kind of love. As a man with a natural sinful nature the kind of love I am capable of on my own is a selfish kind of love. When people in our lives require more than that convenient commitment is when we either reject them or start loving them the way God does.

Of course, there are times when it is difficult and inconvenient for people in my life to show me love as well. At those times they don't have to show me the kind of unconditional love that God shows me. But I am thankful when they do.

I'm thankful for work and discipline. I've come to realize that as evidenced in His Word, God has ordained work as a good thing. There are several places in the Bible where God chastises the lazy man or a "man of sloth". Doing something is so much better than nothing. That's just the opposite of the attitude in today's world.

I have recently gained the perspective that my life is about accomplishing the work God wants me to do. Life is not about striving to be able to sit around and watch TV or otherwise be entertained. It's about doing what's important according to God's will for your life. That's where the blessing and sense of accomplishment is. I'm not saying that leisure time is not allowed. Just that it shouldn't be a goal obtained at the expense of neglecting the responsibility of work that is given to everyone by God. This is especially true for a Christian.

It's very easy to lend yourself to an attitude of "I deserve to do nothing". To keep yourself aimed toward accomplishing the work God commands us to do takes discipline. The daily practice of doing what "should" be done verses what we want to do it a difficult one to establish in one's life. It takes a consistent mindset of seeing the "big picture"; knowing what is your life is about and pushing yourself to do it; especially when you'd rather do something else. Again it comes from being able to see God's perspective and not just yours.

I've learned to do that to a degree. I'm not perfectly disciplined in my life; not by a long shot. But I am thankful that God has given me His perspective in a lot of areas of my life. He has shown me that doing the "work" reaps the "harvest". That's a lesson that hasn't been easy to teach me. But I am thankful He has at least put me on the path to that realization.

So those are the things I am thankful to God for on this national day of Thanksgiving. My prayer is that you and your family have a wonderful and blessed holiday as you gather together today. I look forward to the next 4 weeks as I once again get the opportunity to celebrate the birth of my savior, Jesus Christ, and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas.