Thanks For What?

This time of year, we hear a lot about giving thanks....it should be easy to give thanks for the good things. The fact that we often don't, and instead take God's provision for granted, shows how piggish we can be.

How about giving thanks for the hard things--adversity, trouble, sickness, weakness? Not that I'll candidate any time soon for Job-like status based on my qualifications. Don't think this is true? We flatter ourselves...often when we ask "Why?" we are really charging God with infidelity to our two greatest commandments..."I don't think I want this so you should not give it to me." Really, who sounds like the boss and who sounds like the underling? The primary sin of each human is Pride. It is an inversion of ourselves to a lofty estate of deity where what I think and what I want are the two greatest commandments. God, is demoted to servant status.

I am not saying that it is easy to say "Thy will be done" and then watch our world crumble. Yet, God employs hard times to crack our sense of self-sufficiency, complacency, and arrogance. It is a testament to God's grace that by destroying lesser things He preserves a soul. May we give thanks for that as well as everything else.

Comments

Al Jurina said…
Thank you for this post. I felt like I needed to start this day with something realistic and truthful, rather than the usual candy-coated holiday treatment that seems to ignore everything else. Your words brought a lot of that out. I'm thankful for your blog. Have a good thanksgiving, Eric.

-Albert
November 27, 2008 at 8:15 AM
Eric Bierker said…
Thanks Al...I guess it is clear that I don't subscribe to the Joel Osteen perspective!
November 27, 2008 at 9:36 AM
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