Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/95

Contributor - Ron Sikkema

Title - Thanksgiving - The Attitude of Gratitude

Topic - Thanksgiving

"Do not-be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus' (Phil. 4:6&7).

PEOPLE of faith always find reasons to be thankful. They have made their requests known to God in prayer. They are not anxious. They are at peace with God and people. They keep short account in all responsibilities. They know that God who has provided for the common sparrow and crafted the beauty of a flower will provide for them much more abundantly. Most importantly, they know their names are written in the heart of God.

When we speak of someone who has an 'attitude," it often means something negative. But an attitude can also be very positive, for it is the foundation of all God-honouring actions. The basic attitude of love must be there before the Christian will do anything worthwhile as it is pointed out in 1 Corinthians 13. The attitude of thanksgiving assumes love for God and people.

Thanksgiving approximately fifty years ago when I was a child in rural Illinois was an emotional event. It started with a worship at which we gave thanks for the harvest, which by that time (the end of November) had been gathered in. At that worship a collection was taken, primarily for missions, and it was the largest collection of the year. Farmers knew by that time what kind of year they had been blessed with. There was a direct connection between God and provisions. There was no yearly salary, no guaranteed provision, no minimum wage, no union or contract. It all depended on soil, weather, and market conditions which were totally out of our control.

In addition there was the family meal with all around the table. Home for the holiday were all who were away to attend school or who had moved away from home for other reasons. We were together, we were treated with the best feeding frenzy of the year, complete with several kinds of pies - apple, pumpkin, and ground cherry from Grandma's garden.

That is all fine if there is a harvest. But what about the years when there was not enough harvest to pay for the rent on the land like during the depression? What of those years when old age or sickness or accident had maimed or claimed one of the lives of the family? There was still Thanksgiving.

There was a sense that Thanksgiving was a spiritual discipline. It was not only focused on how much we had but who God was. This spiritual discipline had worked its way into the fabric of our covenant community and family. It was especially through the hard years that Thanksgiving became more meaningful. Generations of story telling provided the family and community a sense of disciplined gratitude to God expressed in Thanksgiving.

Have years of prosperity and the removal of many of yesterday's uncertainties in today's lifestyle increased our expression of thanksgiving? Insatiable appetites for more, fed by comparing what we have with what others have, will erode our thankful hearts.

Thanksgiving is to be a way of life, an attitude that emerges from the soul, works its way out in words spoken, actions done, and extends to the muscles in our face.

Thanksgiving is rooted in responding to who God is. Covenant promises reveal that God is giver of all things and we in faith receive those promises with thanksgiving. Those promises are not conditionally received through performance on our part, but by faith on our part.

Thanksgiving is an act of faith based on covenant promises. It is not based on how many things we have received as much as it is based on the acceptance of promises.

Thanksgiving for the blessings we. have received during the past year is honouring to God, but even more honouring is thanksgiving for having received His revelation and the moving of the Holy Spirit to receive His grace in Christ.

The attitude of gratitude will always find reasons and ways to give to God and others. Tithing, giving the first 10% of all we receive, is concrete evidence of our gratitude to God. No matter if we are living at 'poverty" level or at the highest income level, tithing is a spiritual discipline which shows gratitude to God and confirms our faith in God. We do not have to tithe, but by not tithing, we put in peril our gratitude and our very salvation.

We are all responsible for our attitudes. They do not flow out of circumstances, but out of a relationship with God from whom all blessings flow. Make this Thanksgiving one in which you commit yourself to 'Have an attitude" of gratitude.

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