\”So then, just as you received Jesus Christ as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.\”
Colossians 2:6-7
“There’s nothing to celebrate.”
\”It will never be the way it used to be.”
“Thankful? For what?”
Have you heard statements like this as we approach Thanksgiving 2020? If not, it’s surprising, because from social media, to television, to coffee shops, people are bemoaning the state of our nation this year. The most recent pronouncements in many states to either cancel Thanksgiving or to limit the celebration to immediate, in-home family do put a sopping wet damper on this quintessential American holiday.
It’s tough to argue. A plague, a contested election, loved ones dying, pets passing on, an economy on the brink, a potential vaccine that may or may not be viable, uncertainty in high places, a stock market that thinks it’s a yoyo. Need I go on? In addition to national concerns, each person has their own 2020 story. Few are upbeat or positive.
If you think this is nothing more than a feel-good Christian piece, think again. The trials are real. No manner of reframing or soft-selling will change reality. Jesus told us things like this would happen. It shouldn’t be a surprise to any student of the Bible. And yet most think it will happen in another era, to a different generation. So, surprise! Here we are. The question is what to do about it all in light of the societal mandate to Be Thankful as we hit turkey day—and for believers, every day.
An SEAPC team went to Plymouth, MA to pray in mid-November, on the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing. Why did the Pilgrims endure the sea voyage to come to uncharted territory? They arrived in a cold, barren land of people with whom they had nothing in common. Do you think some of them wondered, “Should I be thankful for this?”
In their context, there must have been a resounding, “YES!” Because they came from true religious persecution, even though such things had long been outlawed in their civilized nations. Some believers who strayed from state-approved worship were strangled and burned. Other incidents included stabbing with an iron fork, hanging and mutilation, seizure of property, exile, and numerous other atrocities.
The Pilgrims arrived in the New World with a goal and a passion. The goal, to worship God as they chose, to be “plantations of religion,” “a city on a hill,” “a holy experiment.” Their passion, to make a reality out of God’s plan for his churches in the American wilderness. The hardships they would suffer here paled in comparison to what they had fled. Were they thankful? What do you think?
Fast forward. The Christian church in the United States is, indeed, experiencing ridicule, censorship, and a growing societal acceptance of beliefs that are not Biblically-based. But most of us “suffer” in comfortable homes, with full refrigerators, warm furnaces, family, and the freedom to attend the church of our choice, even if sometimes it’s online. It is not the ideal situation when God is being shut out by so many lost souls. He wants everyone to know him and to be saved. But these events, while troubling, only highlight God’s mighty care of the people he loves so much.
*Our God did not leave us uninformed.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17.)
*He protects us in all circumstances.
God is my deliverer. I will trust in him and not fear. For the Lord gives me strength and protects me. (Isaiah 12:2.)
*When we need him, he is always available.
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. (Nahum 1:7.)
Everyone, even the mightiest of mighty believers, has moments of doubt. It’s part of the human condition. The challenge is to lay those doubts, fears, anxieties, and yes, even persecutions, at the foot of the cross. And walk away. Jesus already took care of them for us. His work is finished. Our work is to trust him, no matter what the season. He knew that sometimes each of us would be a Sampson of faith. And that at other times we would tremble and be a Gideon. We will vacillate. His love will not.
Within the free will we have been given, we are free to make a choice as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, 2020. We can choose to drink of the half-empty glass of worry. Or we can choose to be filled with the overflowing glass of Living Water. Because our thanksgiving is not focused on temporal things that will experience rust, moth, and destruction. Our thankfulness is to God, for his grace, mercy, peace, provision, and sacrificial love.
The staff and Friends of SEAPC wish everyone a day of true blessings this Thanksgiving. We can eat chunks of turkey, mounds of stuffing, and slices of pie. And we can also worship, pray, and thank our Creator, our Savior, and our ever-present help in times of trouble for the unconditional love and protection available to us every second of every day on earth. And for eternity in heaven.
Thanksgiving blessings to all, in the name of Jesus, who alone is sufficient.
