Canadians and Americans pause around this time of year to give a perfunctory acknowledgement that, no matter how much we complain the rest of the year, we are richly blessed. But thanksgiving is a dangerous attitude for the West’s ever-increasing population of agnostics.
Agnostics must be careful. After all, gratitude infers that there is Someone to thank for these blessings. In fact, if there is no Blesser, there are no blessings, only pleasant accidents. It has been noted that the most difficult time for an atheist occurs when he feels grateful–and has no one to thank. Eventually, such an attitude will turn the spirit rancid. Shakespeare has Rosencrantz confess, “Beggar that I am, I am poor even in thanks.”
Godlessness lies at the root of thanklessness. Paul declared emphatically, “They are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom. 1:20-21).
There it is! “Neither were thankful”–the sucker that saps the life from the soul. Never bearing fruit, the self-centered person constantly demands more. Contentment and satisfaction are strangers to such because, no matter how well they are treated in life, they imagine they deserve better than that.
A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a crowded plane at the Minneapolis Airport. It was the last flight of the day to Grand Rapids. It had been a long trip for me: Calgary-Vancouver; Vancouver-Seattle; Seattle-Minneapolis. I leaned back in the seat and let the conversation wash over me. It would be good to get home.
Waiting for clearance, the flight attendant was chatting with some passengers near me. I overheard them telling about their last flight, which had been delayed.
“I couldn’t believe some of the other passengers,” said a fellow dressed in a pink shirt (with the appropriate blue horse embroidered on the pocket). “They were so rude to the stewardess,” he continued, a little louder for the benefit of his captive audience. “I mean, it wasn’t her fault! Some people can be so thoughtless.”
The flight attendant was more than happy to agree. And with that the conversation concluded.
The attendant busied herself in the rear galley. The plane was still at the gate. Ten minutes passed. Fifteen. The horse-man was getting red around his pink collar. I noticed the colors clashed.
Twenty minutes passed. My neighbor’s voice was becoming more strident. And he had found several others–who had agreed with him in his last conclusion–to agree with him now. They summarily tried, sentenced, and executed the airlines in general, this airline in particular, the captain, and, oh, yes! the flight attendant. Mr. Hot-under-the-collar jabbed his call button.
Just then the captain’s voice broke in over the intercom. “Sorry for the wait, folks. We’re holding for some passengers from a delayed flight that is just getting in. We’ll only be a few more minutes.”
“Why didn’t they have the decency to wait for us when we were delayed?” asked Mr. Red-in-the-face to no one in particular. “Say, Miss, Miss! It certainly would have been appreciated if someone had just. . . ”
You don’t want to hear anymore, do you? I certainly didn’t. But the fellow saw fit, all the way home, to share with us the meager dimensions of his inner man. Oh, how small is a person wrapped up in himself.
Paul believed that thanksgiving was thanksliving. Here are some of his keys to learning the grace of gratitude in a world where he said the human race would be increasingly unthankful and unholy (2 Tim. 3:2):
1. Thanksgiving is not optional; it is essentially the will of God for you (1 Thess. 5:18).
2. Thanksgiving is an important ingredient in prayer (Phil. 4:6). Prayers can tend to be negative–we are always praying about problems and needs. Be sure to add a good dose of gratitude to sweeten your prayer life.
3. Thanksgiving is the antidote to loose talk (Eph. 5:4). It certainly would have eased things on the plane!
4. Thanksgiving is the fruit of appreciating “the faith”–all God has given me in Christ (Col. 2:7). Want to be thankful? Then learn to be thoughtful–about everything that you have to be grateful for. If necessary, with all your other lists, keep a “thank list.”
Incidents like these that meet us on life’s road are golden opportunities for showing our heavenly citizenship. God’s country is filled with thanksgiving.