In just a few short weeks our nation will celebrate a day purposed for and dedicated to the giving of thanks – especially the giving of thanks to God for His bounteous blessings on our nation. In the name of expressing thanksgiving and gratitude, millions will gather with family and friends on that day. But the fact that many will gather in celebration of the holiday does not mean that thanksgiving will be expressed in every heart or at every gathering. Some people are just not good at Thanksgiving math.
The English word “thanksgiving” traces its origin back to the 1530’s. It was formed from the combination of two Old English words meaning “grateful thought” and “to give, bestow, or grant.” When those two meanings are combined, thanksgiving is “to give, bestow, or grant a grateful thought.” Thanksgiving is not just recognizing and being grateful for the good we have experienced at the hands of another. It also is giving away (expressing) that grateful thought verbally or by other means – especially to the source of the blessing we have received. It’s not enough just to feel gratitude. We also need to express it – not only for the benefit of the one to whom we express it, but also for our own benefit.
When it comes to the discipline and practice of “giving grateful thoughts”, philosopher Eric Hoffer (1898-1983) made an interesting observation about expressing gratitude when he said, “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”1 Some people simply are not good at Thanksgiving math. What contributes to that deficiency?
- Sometimes it is hard to count our blessings when they come disguised as hardships or heartbreak. This is the case especially if we have an erroneous view of God that says God is loving, kind, good, and is blessing us only when life is going well – but never if things are going badly. For example, grief in times of loss can shield us from seeing other blessings that are present. We can become so blinded by grief over losing a loved one that we fail to recognize and thank God for the blessings we experienced when we had them with us. Likewise, bitterness over our hardship can keep us from seeing the blessing that God intends for the hardship to bring to us – especially when that blessing is to teach us truths about Him that we could never learn otherwise. The late spiritual giant Corrie ten Boom put it well when she said, “In darkness God’s truth shines most clear.”2 There are truths about God we learn in the valleys that could never be learned on the mountaintops.
- Sometimes it is hard to name and count our blessings when we become too focused on ourselves. Pastor/author Mark Batterson spoke well when he said, “If all our focus is on ourselves, everything else is out of focus.”3 That life principle works its way out in our lives regarding counting our blessings and being thankful when:
- We become so accustomed to being blessed by God that we begin to feel entitled to them. Life teaches us well that a spirit of entitlement and a spirit of gratitude don’t coexist.
- We become so used to having our blessings that we take them for granted.
- We fail to recognize our blessings as blessings because we have concluded that it is our efforts, our smarts, our talents, and our savvy that have produced our good fortune.
- Our spirit of discontentment regarding those blessings we have yet to receive, blocks our view of the blessings that have already been received.
How can we become better in counting our blessings? A good dose of humility, love for others, and contentment with what we have can go a long way. Living up to the counsel of God’s truth found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 will also help, “Rejoice always [not just when things are going good]; pray without ceasing [not just when we feel like it]; in everything give thanks [not just when blessings are abundant]; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (for the follower of Christ this isn’t optional].” (NASB) A heart that feels thanksgiving and a mouth that expresses it are very becoming to a child of God.
1 Andrew Holmes, God Moments for Men, 2012, p. 34.
2 Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place, Goodreads.com
3 Mark Batterson, Play the Man, 2017, p. 97.
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