Thanksgiv-ing seasonis a provi-dentialreminder ofhow to live365 daysa year.

,you HAVBHEARDthe definitionof an atheist: a person who, atdeath, is all dressed up but has

no place to go. I have often thoughtof the incongruity of an atheist's dailylife. What does an atheist do whenglad about things, but has no oneto thank?

Then I remember that I, too, haveoften acted like an atheist-taking,taking, taking without thanks; taking

blessings for granted, just as though Ideserved anything other than hell.Then the pendulum swings, andsanity recognizes that we can even begrateful for gratitude.

In that Book which, best of allbooks, tells us how to live, we read:

Be very careful, then, how youlive-not as unwise but aswise. . . do not be foolish, butunderstand what the Lord's will is.Do not get drunk on wine, whichleads to debauchery. Instead befilled with the Spirit. . .. Sing andmake music in your heart to theLord, always giving thanks to Godthe Father for everything, in thename of our Lord Jesus Christ.(Eph 5:15-20, NIV)

I read it and feel ashamed. A fifty-cent piece held close enough to theeye can block out the sun. I confessthat too often I have clutched sometrifling worry so close as tq be blindto the manifold blessing of myexistence. We find it much harder tosit on a tack than on a mountain, yetthe carnal heart concentrates muchmore on tacks than mountains, asthough it were gaining something bysuch folly. Lord, forgive us ....

Paul Gave Thanks in All ThingsThe words in Ephesians, which urge

us to always give thanks foreverything, were written by a man inprison who, not many years hence,was to be beheaded by order of thatmonster Nero. The author had "been

exposed to death again and again" (2Cor 11:23). He had been beaten fivetimes by the authorities-thirty-ninelashes a time. On three otheroccasions he had been thrashed withrods, and at least once stoned.Several times he had beenshipwrecked, and knew what it wasto spend a night and a day in theopen sea.

Constantly on the move, he hadbeen in danger from bandits,Gentiles, Jews, and naturalforces, as well as Christianapostates. Trying to bring theCorinthian believers to theirsenses, he wrote:

I have labored and toiledand have often gonewithout sleep; I have knownhunger and thirst and haveoften gone without food; Ihave been cold and naked.

(2 Cor 11:27 NIV)This was the man who not only spokeabout giving thanks for every t,

thing but who actually didit! Read Philippians andsee. Note how often theword "joy" or "rejoicing"occurs in that prisonletter.

We Are to Give Thanksin All Things

Paul, we are no apostles!Did you really mea~n "'"it? Give thanks, ,.,-'always, for all ~things? '.

His responseis clear anddefinite: Yes,I am tellingyou how tolive aright. Iam sayingthat insteadof the ecstasyof worldlyintoxicationthroughalcohol, orother short-lived in-dulgences,be sosubmitted to theindwelling Spirit thatyou will sing and praise,and continually voice your

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gratitude.No wonder Ephesians has been

called Paul's "third heaven" epistle(2 Cor 12:2), and the Alps of theNew Testament. "Here we arebidden by God to mount, step bystep, until we reach the highestpossible point where man canstand." Even unbelieving psycholo-gists will admit that the Christianwho practices gratitude therebyblunts life's blows, and is energizedfor significant achievements.

. . . instead of the ecstasyof worldly intoxicationthrough alcohol, or othershort-lived indulgences,be so submitted to theindwelling Spirit that youwill sing and praise, andcontinually voice yourgratitude.

That's why Cicero said, "Athankful heart is not only thegreatest virtue, but the parent of allother virtues." Auerbach affirmedthat "Gratitude is the soil on whichjoy thrives." Secker declared, "Heenjoys much, who is thankful forlittle, for a grateful mind is a greatmind."

The Context of Paul's AdmonitionWhile we are grateful for these

encomiums bestowed upongratitude, it is more important tonotice the context (in Ephesians) ofPaul's admonition: his praisesfollow his warning to be carefulhow we live. Observe, it is thenfollowed by one and a half chaptersof counsel about our regular dailyattitudes and practices.

What this means in effect is this:whoever would serve God must beginwith the spirit of praise. It is thegrateful heart which is the mainspringof all obedience. The succeedingverses detail the common duties ofordinary life-which is just whereall of us often fail-and here in theheart of the practical section of theEphesian letter is the motivatingkey to all right behavior: gratitude!

But you have noticed-andquestioned, I am sure-the words

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which are really shocking in thePauline counsel. Give thanksALWAYSfor ALL THINGS? Howcan that be? Are not lots of thingswhich surround and overtake us,evil? Am I to give thanks for these?

Yes. There is no dodging theapostle's meaning. I have tried haIf-a-dozen translations, and could findno loophole in any of them. I amto thank God for those things whichmake the natural man curse. I amto thank God for the things whichtempt me, either to anger, or despair,or bewilderment. All things ...always ... all things ... always.

Giving Thanks for Dark ThingsIt was Spurgeon who wrote that

the love tokens God sends oftencome to us in black envelopes; thatthe benefits which travel to us viathe cross are the most heavily ladenwagons that ever come from ourFather's country. He said:

We are to give thanks for thedark things, the cutting things,the things which plague and vexus, and disquiet our spirits, forthese are among the all things[Rom 8:28] for which we oughtto praise and bless God.Doubtless, if our eyes wereopened, like those of Elijah'sservant, we should see our trialsto be amongst our choicesttreasures. If we exercise the farseeing eye of faith and not thedim eyes of sense, we shalldiscover that nothing can bemore fatal to us than to bewithout affliction, and thatnothing is more beneficial to usthan to be tried as with fire.(C.H. Spurgeon, MetropolitanTabernacle Pulpit, 19:66)

When I stop to think about it, allthe great saints have said the same.C.S. Lewis wrote, "Security ismortals' greatest danger." I confessthat I am more prayerful whenthings are difficult than whenthings are easy. And not only moreprayerful, but more gentle andmeek rather than typicallyaggressive and vain.

The trouble is that thisimprovement in disposition doesnot endure, so God sends anotherproblem, and another, and another.When will it end? Only with the

redemption of the body at the comingof Christ (Rom 8:23). Had I notbetter learn to trust him where Icannot trace him, and to give praisethough I see neither his facenor hand?

The early Christians, according toAugustine, never separated withoutsaying, "Deo gratias" [Thanks be toGod!] Often their conversation hadbeen about everspreading persecu-tion, at times about brethrendevoured by amphitheater lions.Even then they said, "Deo gratias."Even when mourning the eruptionof heresy, they closed their lamentwith "Thanks be to God."

Thanksgiving Season Takes NoBlessings for Granted

Thanksgiving season is a provi-dential reminder of how to live 365days a year. If we would only thinkof God, and give thanks to him asoften as we have evidence of hisgoodness. No. Let me go onebetter. We would be wise to thankGod for the mercies which wedon't see, even as we thank himfor the obvious ones. On oneoccasion an old Puritan and his sontraveled miles to meet each other.On arrival the son said, "Father, Iam thankful to God for a veryremarkable providence which I hadon my journey here. My horsestumbled three times, but I amunhurt." His father responded,"My dear son, I also have to thankGod for an equally remarkableprovidence on my way to you. Myhorse did not stumble at all."

Had I not better learn totrust him where I cannottrace him, and to givepraise though I see neitherhis face nor hand?

We take so much for granted.While researching for my bookWorth More Than a Million, I cameacross William Paley's classicstatement: "Nightly rest and dailybread, the ordinary use of ourlimbs, and senses, and understand-ings, are gifts which admit of nocomparison with any other."

In other words, the regularprivileges which almost all men

and women share, these-next tothe gospel blessings-are thegreatest. Yet strangely, asRochefoucauld once remarked:"Almost everyone takes pleasure inrepaying trifling obligations; verymany feel gratitude for those thatare moderate; but there is scarcelyanyone who is [grateful] for thosethat are weighty."

Grateful for Great and SmallHow tragic if the empty cup

becomes our first teacher of theblessings we had when it was full!H. Melvill agreed with Paley whenhe wrote:

Look then, first, at the small orevery-day mercies. If you wouldapply a microscope to an every-day mercy, you might discoverin it, as in the atom or water-drop, the very same demonstra-tion of the presence of theOmnipotent as in the surprisinginterposition which has markedsome great crisis in your life;and, therefore, you are onlygiving a melancholy proof of thefeebleness and short-sightednessof your nature, if you so cast upbenefits under the division ofgreat and small, that you thinkany too trivial to claim thetribute of your thanksgiving. Itcost God (if we may use such anexpression) the same labour tobuild the world as the atom, thesame love to give the moment'sbreath and the empire's dowry;and if it be for the love shown

that we render thanks, we owe,therefore, the same amount,whether the instance of mercy berare and almost unexampled, orwhether it be of daily and evenmomentary occurrence. Besides,it ought to be evident, on theleast reflection, that the commonand daily benefits of life areusually the greatest and the mostvaluable in their nature. Oh! it isa cold and withered heart thatlies in that man's breast, whorequires a miracle before he willrecognize a mercy. Life is oneperpetual miracle. But you must,I hope, be satisfied that you oweGod thanks for what men countsmall and every-day mercies; doyou not also owe Him thanks forwhat they count evils? If not,then you would be grateful forfood, but not for medicine. (TheBiblical Illustrator, p. 562)

°1 thank my HeavenlyFather for everymanifestation of humanlove, I thank Him for allexperiences, be they sweetor bitter, which help meto forgive all things, andto enfold the whole worldwith a blessing."

Thankfulness Enriches LifeWere we fully dedicated to

complete selfishness, the biblicalinjunction should still be embraced.Why? Because the person with thegrateful heart has a continual feast.Because the grateful are to somedegree anesthetized against theoutrages of life. Because there canbe no real sanity, or true perspec-tive, without the perpetual practiceof gratitude. Maybe that is whyShakespeare prayed: "0 Lord, thatlends me life, lend me a heartreplete with thankfulness."

If through the years we havebeen exceedingly blind to ourindebtedness, to the marvelousgrace and bounty of God, shall wenot this Thanksgiving plead thatthe All-Merciful One will grant usthis grace also-that we might be

perennially grateful? Emulate Mrs.L.M. Child who once wrote: "1thank my Heavenly Father forevery manifestation of human love,I thank Him for all experiences, bethey sweet or bitter, which help meto forgive all things, and to enfoldthe whole world with a blessing."

Gratitude Flows from the GospelThe same Paul who advised us to

cultivate gratitude also exemplifiedthat virtue. "Thanks be unto Godfor his unspeakable gift" (2 Cor9:15 KJV)was his spontaneousutterance as he thought of Christ.Dear friend, who can estimate thejoy of sins forgiven, the value ofthe imputed righteousness of Godbestowed upon the ungodly whobelieve, the constant presence ofGod, the gift of the indwellingSpirit, the privilege of service, thecordials of Scripture and prayer,and a thousand other causes forgratitude?

Paul wrote of them all, and wewould benefit richly from dailyreading his words with alleluiasresonating through our minds.Think on it continually: our Christhas linked himself to us by hishumanity, yet he is linked to Godby his divinity. He is that ladderdown which proceed all thecontinuous gifts of heaven.

The gifts are for those who likethe penitent thief and Barabbascannot help themselves, and havenothing to offer God-except thegratitude he himself bestows as thegospel is received. God be praised!

o

DESMOND FORD

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