Subject: The Dynamics Of Thanksgiving
Title of Column: Redemption Outreach from the Diaspora
Columnist: Pastor Sam Adelusimo, Resident Pastor, RCCG Chapel of Praise, Northwest Arkansas, United States of America.
Every believer needs to pray for the baptism of the spirit of gratitude. In the same vein, setting aside at least one Sunday by the church for thanksgiving is not too much. In fact, it is not enough.
Our situation should not be the reason for thanking or not thanking God. The attitude of gratitude should be part of our life. Until we die, we should not stop thanking God.
The challenge of life may make you look like He has not done enough or anything for you. However, if you look around you, you will realize that those things that you consider little or normal are actually big.
As a student, how many people around you did not graduate from school? But you did. How many persons have died of that seemingly ordinary disease that you had but survived and are still alive? Do you know how many people are struggling day and night, thinking and probably slipping into depression because they cannot pay their bills? But here you are, you have settled your bills and do so as and when due.
What is Thanksgiving?
The Lord spoke plainly on gratitude for His blessings in our lives. In Malachi 2:1-2, He gave an injunction about thanksgiving: “And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.”
Let us note that after the ransom of Jesus Christ, God will never curse His own, and as such does not curse. However, the strong instruction in that scripture in Malachi underpins the importance that God places on thanksgiving. He asks us to take it to heart (make it mandatory) to give Him all the glory, to thank Him, or to show gratitude for who and what we are.
We must understand that while He will not curse, however, when we do not show gratitude for what He has done, it is natural for the blessings to fade away. Even in human relationships, if we do not thank our helper, he will surely not repeat his kindness toward us. In addition, if we scorn our benefactor, he can either stop being kind or withdraw his gestures.
Therefore, if any blessings turn sour, God forbids it, you are not under a curse; it is more likely that you are under ignorance. Ignorance of the word and instruction of God concerning giving Him thanks for His great works and for even being alive alone, can create a downward spiral. Your total man belongs to Him. Your heart, spirit, soul. Your mouth, ears, hands, legs, everything. They all belong to the Lord. For these things, we must be grateful.
In 1 Peter 2:9, we are made to know that we are a chosen generation and that we are of royalty: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Here, the scripture makes us understand that He brings us out of one situation or the other, and sets us on a plane, to thank Him for these things. With that mentality that He delivers and sets us apart for royal priesthood, we must set our minds to consistent thanksgiving.
In all situations, God always leaves a margin for gratitude. This is the reason some people encounter narrow escapes or come out of major disasters unscathed. That is why many of us have testimonies of His goodness and mercies to share. He is a good God, whose goodness and mercies deserve acknowledgment and gratitude.
But, what is the nature of thanksgiving? What does it do or change about us?
In Luke 17:12-19, we learn of the story of the 10 lepers who sought healing from Jesus. After they were delivered of the leprosy, only one of them returned to give thanks to God. In verse 16, the healed leper fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Thanksgiving is a form of worship. It is a form of worship from the heart, which manifests in how we deploy our body to show it.
Again, thanksgiving is never too much. God has done so much for us, keeping us alive, saving us from negative occurrences, shielding us from shame, providing our daily bread, granting us mercies beyond human comprehension, healing our infirmities, forgiving us our sins, and so on. If He can do so much for us on a daily basis, we have no business counting the number of times we have thanked Him.
As a corollary to the above, thanksgiving is a multiplier. The story of the man who requested God to stop blessing him is a classic one. He saw that his blessings were multiple and probably too many. Nevertheless, he did not understand that there was a particular act of his that provoked multiple and ceaseless blessings. These were his consistent acts of thanksgiving. Thus, God told him that He would stop blessing the man only if he (the man) stopped thanking him. However, the man would never stop thanking God, hence his blessings kept pouring down.
The man’s story above teaches us that as we thank God truthfully and in spirit, there is a divine force that provokes His ceaseless blessings. It is a divine law. It is the sickle that brings home the harvest (Joel 3:13). To feed thousands that gathered at His feet during teachings, Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish, looked up into heaven, gave thanks to God, and broke the bread into pieces. He then gave it to His disciples, who in turn gave it to the crowds. Moreover, everyone ate until they were satisfied, for the food multiplied in front of their eyes! (Matthew 14:19-21). Thanksgiving carries the grace for multiplication.
Furthermore, God never rejects thanksgiving. He loves it. There is a Yoruba saying/song that praises or thanksgiving is His food. God takes thanksgiving so seriously that He even takes roll call over it, as demonstrated in Luke 17:15-16 when Jesus noticed that nine of the lepers did not come back to return the glory to God for their healing.
Finally, brethren, thanksgiving reverses adversity. Lazarus was dead for four days, but as Jesus approached the tomb and Lazarus’ sister warned that the body was already decomposing, Jesus, standing by the side of the grave, looked up to give thanks, and Lazarus came back to life!
By way of conclusion
Brethren, thanksgiving completes the process that God has begun in us. It facilitates and completes the process of perfection. We must make it a lifestyle. When we know how to thank God, God will perfect how to raise us. Help will rise up for us. It is my earnest prayer that you understand the significance of thanksgiving toward God in the definition or redefinition of our living. May thanksgiving never cease in our homes and mouths in Jesus; precious name.
God bless you!
•Pastor Adelusimo is the Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chapel of Praise Parish, Northwest Arkansas, United States of America.
