The Power of ThanksgivingSample

The Power of Friendship in Thanksgiving

By Danny Saavedra

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy." Philippians 1 :3-4 (NKJV)

Have you ever written a thank-you note to someone? If you’re married, you likely wrote thank-you cards to your wedding guests for the gift they gave you and your spouse. Maybe you’re the kind of person who sends hand written thank-you notes to people for birthday gifts, or maybe someone did something really thoughtful for you out of the blue and you just had to write out a heartfelt letter expressing your gratitude. Whatever the case may be, it’s always a beautiful thing to do for someone to express thanksgiving for something they did for you, for their friendship and love, and simply for who they are as a person.

Did you know that the New Testament Book of Philippians is, more than anything else, a thank-you note? It wasn't primarily written to a church that needed correction or instruction, as most of Paul's other letters were. This was a letter between friends, a note of gratitude from a proud spiritual papa, and you can really sense that in Paul's introduction. 

Now, here’s an interesting fact: Paul wrote this letter while under house arrest. He was essentially in a dungeon, chained to a guard at all times; his body was torn up and his back was covered in scars. He could have been miserable. But instead of focusing on his chains and allowing his present situation to control his every thought, he gave us an amazing example of what to do in hard seasons. What was that example? Well, instead of turning inward and stewing in self-pity, he turned outward! He put his thoughts not on himself, but on God and others, and was able to recognize God's love, grace, and mercy at work through the Philippians. 

Sometimes, when something bad happens to us, our lives can become consumed by it. Now, I’m not trying to bash anyone for this. We’ve all done it; in many ways, it seems we can’t help it. It’s our human nature. But Paul shows us a different nature, a new nature that all followers of Jesus have access through the Spirit of God in us. 

Instead of focusing on the negative, Paul went out of his way to thank the Philippians. And even more astonishing, he told them he constantly prayed for them. So, in the middle of a terrible time, Paul prayed and thanked the Lord for their love and faithfulness, for their generosity, for sharing in the gospel with him! He didn't just sit there and pray for God to help him or take him out of prison, or ask God why He allowed this to happen—both of which are valid prayers. Instead, Paul prayed and thanked God "upon every remembrance" of his friends and fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. In the midst of intense hardship, Paul remembered what was truly important in this world . . . the people God has placed in our lives.  

There's a great lesson here for us. Paul made it a point to show gratitude for his friends. As we walk through trials, let us not forget those who walk with us. Let us show them appreciation and remember to lift them up in prayer to the Lord. And here’s the best part about this practice: As we focus on thankfulness and the blessings God has placed in our lives, even during hard times, our attitude will change! Our focus will shift from the hardness of our circumstances to the blessings of our brethren and the goodness of our God!