By: Rev. David Wilson Rogers
We live in very challenging times. Political discourse and debate has given over to partisan division and distrust. Innocent people are dying at the hands of mass shooters and in response, people proclaim simple “thoughts and prayers” while they argue for and against gun ownership as the solution to the problem. Even within Christianity, many faithful believers have pitted themselves against other believers in a bitter contest of who is right and who is going to hell. There is good reason to understand why a lot of people live in fear, worry, and anxiety today.
Some simply interpret the signs of the times as clear indications that we are in the so-called “last days.” The simple presumption is that Christ is soon to return as he so clearly promised, and the world is just becoming more corrupt in anticipation of the long-expected second coming. This certainly may be the case, but living in fear of an event in human history that even Christ himself said only God knows is not necessarily the best expression of faith. Jesus called his followers to be alert and fully ready for the day. Yet, that watchful anticipation must not take the place of active ministry, fervent prayer, and intentional engagement with the world around us.
Of course, this is not the first time in human history that the world may seem to be spinning out of control. Every generation since Christ has had its own share of bewildering and disorienting changes, violence, and unexplainable cultural transformation. Likewise, each generation up to now has learned to faithfully and prayerfully engage the chaotic and confusing world of its own time. Today, Christians are really no different!
The Apostle Paul was brilliant at engaging difficult times and challenging circumstances. The tumult and trauma of his day were, in their own way, just as disorienting and frustrating as anything the church is facing today. People were worried, anxious, and afraid of an unknown future. Paul himself faced many unknowns and endured horrific violence because of his deep and abiding faith in God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Moreover, Paul also knew the secret to staying on top of things as his world crumbled around him. It was the power of thanksgiving!
Paul writes in the fourth chapter of Philippians, Philippians, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
For Paul, the importance of thanksgiving is vital. Prayer and action are important—absolutely necessary for the Christian—but they must also come directly with an attitude of gratitude and a spirit of thankfulness in order to reach their full power and potential. Prayer, without a thankful heart, is empty and meaningless.
As the nation prepares for the annual celebration intended to call genuine thankfulness back into the hearts of those who make up this great land, it is a good and holy thing that all—Christians and non-Christians alike—prayerfully examine our hearts for thankfulness. So long as the upcoming holiday remains merely a time to gorge on food and uncomfortably debate everything that is wrong with the world while sitting around a bounteous table, nothing positive will happen. Yet, as long as we do all things acting out of an attitude of gratitude, there is a whole world of change awaiting us all.
