[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2025]
Thanksgiving is not simply an event; it is a lifestyle of returning, rejoicing and remembering the goodness of God.
Rev Alfred Kaire [1]
As Christians we live with an anticipation of God’s blessings but how often do we thank him in advance? With the exception of the traditional mealtime grace – “For what are about to receive …” – we are usually content to look back and give thanks for the blessings that we have received but neglect to to thank him for those blessings that we are yet to recognise.
Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgements he uttered
1 Chronicles 16 v12 [ESVUK]
As we saw in our opening lines, giving thanks is not just a single event after which we can consider the matter closed. God’s blessings are both numerous and continuous; they merit more than a passing ‘thank you’. But how do we develop a lifestyle of thankfulness?
Maybe we can start by considering the words of a hymn that was familiar to an earlier generation:
Count your blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.[2]
As we count our blessings we will soon realise that the list is, quite literally, endless.
selah!
God notices when our thanks are lackadaisical or late. In the story of the ten lepers, all were cleansed but not all were grateful.
Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Luke 17 v17-18 [ESVUK]
The lack of gratitude did not undo the healing but the attitude of those nine men has been recorded so that we may learn that God expects better. Compare this with the attitude of Job: a wealthy man who knew the source of his wealth and also that he was only a temporary custodian:
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job 1 v21 [ESVUK]
In Mark’s account of the feeding of the five thousand [3] we see that Jesus gave thanks for the five loaves and two fish in anticipation of the forthcoming miracle. Similarly in the prayer recorded in John 17 we hear Jesus giving thanks for those who were yet to become his followers. Do we have the courage to follow these examples of giving thanks in faith?
Tha apostle Paul offered his opinion on the need to be grateful:
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5 v18 [ESVUK]
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
1 Timothy 6 v17 [NIVUK]
Thanksgiving does not begin when we have everything, it begins with when we focus our hearts on the giver. Where’s your focus today?
References:
[1] Morning homily from All Saints’ Cathedral, Nairobi; 07/Jul/2025
[2] Johnson Oatman, Jr. (1897)
[3] Mark 5:31
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Last week’s reflection: Stirred, Not shaken
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys
Thanks for this Steve.