Thinking Thankfully

November 22, 2022

Thursday is Thanksgiving. It’s a day for publicly expressing thanks and gratitude, but the attitude of gratitude isn’t typical for the average person. Why is that? Paul Tripp tells us that it’s because we are sinners, and the default language of the hearts of sinners is grumbling.

He continues, “This tension between complaint and gratitude tugs at your heart constantly. It’s a spiritual battle, and the result shapes fundamentally different responses of how you live. It’s a spiritual battle because it’s rooted in radically different ways of seeing yourself. Did you catch that provocative statement? I’ll rephrase it: The decision to complain or the decision to give thanks are both rooted in the way you think about yourself. Complaint is an identity issue. If we place ourselves in the center of our world and reduce our concerns down to what we want and feel, we will operate with an entitled and demanding attitude.”

But none of us were created with the universe at our beck and call. Because we think we are entitled, we get irritated and ungrateful when we don’t get what we want. Then we complain.

What if this Thanksgiving we changed our perspective and the way we think about ourselves? What if instead of feeling entitled, we realized that we are the targets of undeserved, unbelievable grace? If we believe that everything we have is an undeserved blessing, we will overflow with reasons to be thankful instead of feeling mistreated and disappointed.

This Thanksgiving, what if you would remind yourself of who you are (a sinner) and what God gave you (mercy, grace, salvation)? You will find gratitude springing up inside of you.

The main point of Thanksgiving from the very beginning has not been a delicious meal or a wonderful day with family and friends, though those things are great and I pray you enjoy them.

But the main thing is to prioritize remembering what God has given undeserving you. You will find yourself becoming deeply humble, thankful, and generous.

Sometime this week, read Philippians 4:4–9 and let God speak to you.

Mr. Tripp has suggested some questions to consider that could make your Thanksgiving even more meaningful. Maybe you could share a few of these with your family and friends on Thanksgiving Day.

Stay safe and have a happy and thankful Thanksgiving!

Reflection Questions:

1.  Would the people who live nearest to you characterize you as a complaining person or a thankful person?

2.  When was the last time you sat down to literally count your blessings?

3.  When was the last time you spent time grumbling, moaning, and complaining about life?

4.  When you look at your world, are you pessimistic about everything that’s going wrong?

5.  When you look at your world, do you find yourself celebrating God’s common grace?

6.  Do you view yourself as one who has been continuously short-changed and neglected?

7.  Do you view yourself as one who has been unfairly showered with blessings?

8.  How often do you fill in the blank with grumbling, like “If only I had _________” or “I wish ___________ was different”?

9.  How often do you fill in the blank with gratitude, like “I can’t believe God has given me _____________”?

10. In your relationships, are you encouraging friends and family to continue grumbling?

11. In your relationships, are you encouraging friends and family to find reasons to give thanks to God?

12. In your relationships, do you find yourself frequently tearing others down?

13. In your relationships, do you find yourself frequently building others up?