Being thankful and taking stock of our blessings tends to rise this time of year because of the Thanksgiving holiday that comes around on the fourth Thursday each November. Typically, many think of Thanksgiving as an opportunity to pause, gather, reflect, and give thanks. However, the chaos that continues to rise around the world threatens to upend much of what we look forward to each Thanksgiving.

Politics have left many divided, troubled, and exhausted and the anger and violence taking place in so many places, including within our own communities and families has left many of us nervous over the uncertainty and instability taking place around the world. 

As a spiritual practice I’ve tried to be intentional about taking time each day to think about what is means to truly give thanks to God, to live with a thankful heart, and to reflect a thankful life – especially one that goes beyond a holiday. But living a thankful life isn’t always easy, and it can be especially difficult during challenging times like the ones we find ourselves in at this moment. So, while living a thankful life isn’t necessarily complicated, it does however require intentionality about making a choice to be thankful.

But in order to do that I think it’s helpful for us to have a guide. And while Jesus is certainly number one, another great example for us is Paul and his letter to the Colossians. Despite what he was suffering personally, locked away in prison along with the many reasons he had to be angry, fearful, and despairing – he nevertheless remained thankful. “We always thank God,” he begins (Colossians 1:3). He could have begun his letter with complaining, and instead he punctuates his letter with profound thankfulness (Colossians 1:12; 2:7; 3:15–17; 4:2), and each chapter captures another element of healthy, God-glorifying thankfulness.

Giving thanks to God can be difficult and it’s generally not our first reaction when we find ourselves in the midst of disappointment, anxiety, stress, or fear. And although these are normal and natural responses to circumstances such as those taking place in our world right now, the apostle Paul shows us that there are things that still remain to be grateful for. Amid all the challenging things taking place in our world and in each of our daily lives – there remains opportunities to laugh, to connect, to work, to love, to care, and to find ways to enjoy life. 

As Paul nears the end of his letter, he emphatically stresses the fundamental and spiritual importance of thankfulness. Notice how he repeats himself: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:15–17)

Did you catch the theme – Let peace rule in your hearts with thankfulness. Let praise rise up from your mouths with thankfulness. Let all that you say and do – let it all be done in thankfulness. Whatever you do – even in a shifting and uncertain world, even amid political upheaval, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health – do it all in the name of Jesus and do it with thankfulness to God.

My prayer for all of us is that as we journey through these uncertain times, each of us would allow this season of Thanksgiving to be an opportunity to renew our thankfulness to God. Because, no matter what we suffer, or how deeply we suffer, or how long we’re forced to wait for healing and relief, God has claimed us in Christ and promised this forever – and this my friends should give us endless reasons to be thankful.

With this in mind then, I wonder how you would choose to live differently for the remainder of this challenging year and beyond? What doors might God be opening in the inconveniences, the struggles, and the uncertainty to come? Because, if we do all that we do with thankfulness on our minds and in our hearts, then I also think we’ll be far more likely to recognize the doors as God opens them. 

So, I’d like to say how thankful I am for all of you and for the gift of being one of your pastors. Thank you for your love, trust, understanding, compassion, partnership, encouragement, honesty, and your wrestling. But most of all I’d like to thank you for continuing to walk this journey of faith and life together.

I thank God every time I think of you! Thanks be to God! Amen.

Pastor Tony