Thanksgiving is here again.  Amazing how time flies.  If you’re like most of us, chances are you’re busier than you would like to be.  Or, you could be a part of a difficult group that wishes it were much busier than it is–on the work front.  I would say both groups point us to the discipline of thanks giving.

Discipline.  A tough word at times.  It is hard to be disciplined.  It is much easier not to be.  Discipline asks us to do things that are not natural in a fallen world.  Getting up early, keeping track of your spending, actually limiting your spending, being consistent with time in the Word, staying away from temptation, all these things require discipline, and all of them are hard–at least some of the time.

What about giving thanks?  There are times when that comes very easily.  As Christians in America, relatively speaking, we have it great.  We can worship freely, without persecution.  We have a high standard of living, and enjoy access to things most of the world only dreams about.

Yet, as I usually mention in these newsletters, Satan, a.k.a., the “hater of thanks giving” is always working to push us towards what doesn’t give life, and in this instance, he’s likely to nudge us toward looking at what we don’t have (like more time or more money), rather than the good we do we have.  One of his main ambitions is to get us where our hearts are so worn down, so discouraged, that we struggle even to remember the “giver of good gifts.”  Satan was unable to be content, to be thankful, and loves to make his own disciples in his image.  He loves to destroy hope, destroy possibilities, destroy thanks giving.  He is much more effective than I wish he were.

This takes me back to the discipline of thanks giving.  At some point in time, maybe even right now, each of our lives will be much harder than we’d like.  It seems like by the time that comes, we would be much farther along if we developed a discipline of giving thanks, for the things that really matter, for the things that are not temporal.

I encourage you over this Thanksgiving break, to take time for deeper reflection on the things that you are thankful for, especially the things that transcend circumstances.  Things like God’s stunning grace, remarkable patience, eternal commitment to the good of your soul, and the future reality of the ultimate banquet, the ultimate time of worship, where our hearts will be honestly filled to overflowing with thankfulness, joy, happiness.

As you and I practice this “deeper” thanks giving, a richer peace, a deeper gratitude, will begin to fill our souls.  Ideally as we practice this, we will make it more of a habit, more of a discipline in our daily lives.  This should enable us to be more of a grounded presence, and enable us to lead from a greater place of authentic grace and truth in our worlds, in a way this world deeply needs.  People might even become thankful just by being around you…because of the fragrance of Christ that you can’t help but emanate!  Amen.

In closing, please know that, among other things on my list, I am deeply grateful for each of you who are devoted to pleasing God with your lives; who are committed to building a radiant church down here in this tough world.  May God draw you into a wonderful, life-changing time of thanks giving over these next few days.  May it lead to a discipline of thanks giving that grounds you in “cornerstone love,” that fills your heart in indescribable ways over the course of your journey.  Blessings to you.