Unconditional Thankfullness

This is the season that our nation pauses and gathers with family and counts the blessings the year has brought us. Some of us go around the turkey table and share what we’re thankful for. Some reminisce with family about the fun times they've had together. Some remember members of the family they love that are not with them anymore or just couldn't make it this year. But we all pause and thank.

I've recently wondered what would happen if we actually voiced out loud the bad things that happened in our lives this year and said we were thankful for those times. I know if I did that my family would start looking for a special new place for me to live with kind people who would take care of me and not let me hurt myself. We just don’t like to say we’re thankful for the yuckies. It goes against everything we know.

We put conditions on what we will be thankful for:

I’m thankful I got that promotion or raise - not that I lost my job. I’m thankful for my health - not that I was diagnosed with something that will change my life. I’m thankful that God has taken care of my family - not that I have had a tragedy with a family member.

We can’t seem to be able to bring ourselves to unconditional thankfulness.

But we do have this glorious expectation: God’s unconditional love.

And I’m glad He does love us because we have all been quite unlovable. God never says, “If you do this or that and don’t do this or that, I will love you.”  Romans 8:35-39 says, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? …No, despite all things that happen to us overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Yay! We like that! Unconditional love from God is our secure promise. We are so thankful for this.

 But what about our response to this wonderful unconditional love? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The word “everything” in this verse means: all, everything, the total picture. It is God will for us to receive His unconditional love and to give Him our unconditional thanks.

So this Thanksgiving I’m saying thanks to my God for everything (even the yuckies.)

And I’m going to try not to put conditions on my thanks in the future.

I want to get to the place in my life that I am habitually unconditionally thankful.

That may take me until next Thanksgiving.